Sacrifices
by angelraine
Summary: [NejiSakuraSasuke]Sacrifices meant that you were going to give up things for something greater. Sacrificing for love wasn’t a crime. But that type of sacrifice could mean giving up everything you knew in life.
1. Neji's Sacrifice for Sakura

Sacrifices meant that you were going to give up things for something greater. Some sacrifices were easy. Some were hard. Some were achieved through patience. Some were too impossible to achieve. Sacrificing for love wasn't a crime. But that type of sacrifice could mean giving up everything you knew in life.

Uchiha Sasuke finally accomplished his mission in life – to kill Itachi. Naruto was able to save him from Orochimaru and he, unexpectedly, was thankful that he did. He was thankful that Orochimaru didn't succeed in making Sasuke his new body. And of course, he owed Naruto something far more important than that – Sakura.

Haruno Sakura waited for Sasuke to come back. She trained hard with Master Tsunade and it resulted well. She was an expert in medical matters. She was praised as "the best and youngest medical ninja in Konoha." She was sent to dangerous missions with other ninjas namely Hyuuga Neji and Aburame Shino. With her help, all of those missions were successful. She was once engaged to Neji but she decided to let go. There was only one person that she loved the most – Sasuke.

Sakura was walking on the bridge on one windy night. She was alone. She loved to wander around alone especially when she felt it was safe. That night, she felt something was going to happen so she wandered around. She stopped in the middle of the bridge and looked at her reflection.

"Hmmm…" She sighed, "I wish he was here…"

"Who is he?" Someone she longed to see asked.

She turned around slowly. Her eyes widened. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. Her hand was quivering when she placed it on her mouth. "Sa-sa-sasuke…" Her hair swayed as the wind passed by and removed her tears.

"Sakura," He said, "I'm back…" He opened his arms; he expected Sakura to run and hug him.

She did. She ran towards him and cried on his chest. "You… you're here… I… I missed you…. You're staying… right?" She looked at him earnestly.

Sasuke nodded. "I'm staying." He held her so close to him. He didn't want to let go. He loved her so much.

Sakura hugged him back. "I'm glad you're staying. I really am."

They wished that the moment would last forever. But sometimes, they had to make sacrifices to survive in this crazy world.

Sakura ran as far as she could. She ran and ran deeper into the woods. She wanted to get away. She wanted to lose him in the woods.

Sasuke chased her. He didn't mean all those things he said. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to hold her close to his heart again.

"_I don't want to lose my job as a ninja." Sasuke reasoned, "I had to go on this mission. They said I could handle it alone so I can't bring you with me."_

"_You just got here two days ago and now, you're leaving me!" Sakura spat out. _

"_I don't want to but I have to!" Sasuke added, "I have to live up to my name."_

_Sakura replied, "Just because you're the only Uchiha doesn't mean that you have to do this to me."_

"_You're being unreasonable!" Sasuke angrily replied, "Don't be that selfish. Let me live! I don't love you that much to give up everything I do for you."_

_With that answer, Sakura froze. "You… you… didn't mean that right?"_

_Sasuke caught up with what was happening. He made one large mistake. He replied, "No. I didn't mean it; believe me I didn't mean it."_

_With that, Sakura answered, "Sasuke, I hate you." Then, she ran. She ran as fast as she could._

Sakura ran. Why? Because she wanted to escape the scene that happened between her and Sasuke, she ran. She didn't mean to say those spiteful words at him. She was just too shocked on what he said.

Sasuke didn't mean all of those things. Of course he loved her as much as he loved his job. Heck, he loved her more than he loved his job. But there were some things in life that you can't sacrifice that easily.

Sakura got tired so she decided to stop. Because of that, Sasuke caught up with her. Somehow, they ended on one of the romantic spots in Konoha – the lake. Sakura was standing and staring at the lake. Sasuke was standing behind her.

Sasuke started, "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it." He went closer to her and slipped his arms around her waist. "I really am sorry."

"I know you didn't mean it." Sakura asked, "How long is your mission?"

"It depends on the situation, darling." Sasuke placed his head over hers. "I promise to be back as soon as I could."

"You promise?" Sakura asked again.

"Yes." He said.

There were fireflies on the scenery. The moon shone brightly over them. The fight ended with a kiss. It was their first kiss. They cherished the moment and wished that it would last forever.

The next day, Sasuke left Konoha. Sakura waved good-bye as the man that she loved so much left her on the village gates.

Sakura walked back to her home where she bumped into her old fiancé, Neji. His white eyes glittered when he saw her. "Sakura?"

"Oh, hello Neji!" She smiled at him. It was a smile he missed so much.

Neji said, "I heard Uchiha is back. How come you're alone?"

"He had a mission. He can't bring me with him, much to my disappointment." Sakura answered, "How about you? How come you're not on a mission?"

"I have to attend Hinata's wedding." Neji answered, "You were invited, right?"

Sakura slapped her forehead. "How could I forget it? It is next week, right? Naruto still has to recover from all those injuries."

Neji nodded. "Is Uchiha going to come with you?" Neji hoped for a negative answer.

"If he comes back tomorrow, I'll go with him." Sakura added, "If not, I'll come alone."

"If he doesn't come," Neji hesitated to add, "Would you come with me instead? Don't worry. We'll go as friends." This time, Neji hoped for a positive answer.

Sakura nodded. "Sure." She walked two steps and looked back. "I'll go now. Bye, Neji!" She waved and walked away.

Neji sighed. He walked away too. 'He just left her like that? I wouldn't do that to her, not after what we've been through together…'

"_Neji," Sakura asked, "Does it hurt?" Neji was hit by a ninja from the Tea country. Lee was with them and he was currently fighting the ninjas._

_That was the understatement of the day. Neji's wound was deep so of course it hurt. He didn't want to be sarcastic to her. He lost Ten-Ten because of that. He won't lose Sakura because of that same attitude._

_Sakura gathered some chakra and tried to heal his wounds. "Here. Does it still hurt?"_

_His wounds were starting to heal. "I feel much better now. Thank you." He sat up and suddenly, he pecked on her cheek. _

_Sakura blushed after that peck. "A thank you is enough, you know."_

"_I did that because I…" Before he could finish, a konai shot right at them. "They're attacking again. Spread out." _

Neji sighed again. 'That wasn't very romantic, just memorable to me. I wonder if it is also memorable to her.'

_Neji asked Sakura for a date. He had everything prepared – flowers; chocolates; dinner by the lake; soft, sweet music; and of course, his proposal for her to be his girl._

_They never had dates other than that. They were always too busy with missions to even think of going out together. And finally, Neji had a chance; it was once in a lifetime so he really made sure that everything was perfect._

_  
Neji wore his normal clothes since it wasn't that formal. He had the flowers and chocolates ready. He knocked on the door. _

"_Coming…" He heard Sakura from the inside of the house. A minute later, Sakura opened the door. "Hi, Neji!" She was stunning, as always. She wore a red Chinese dress. She didn't wear make-up, just gloss. _

_Neji smiled. He handed her the flowers and the chocolates. "These are for you."_

_Sakura took the flowers and chocolates. "Neji, thank you. These are lovely." She walked a little. "Come inside. I just want to put the flowers on the vase before we go."_

_Neji went inside and looked around. It was a small place; just right for Sakura. There was a neat bookcase beside the sofa. The kitchen was near the dining room. On the table on the living room, there were pictures. Mostly pictures of her team and her family occupied the table. There was one very disturbing picture though. It was a picture of her and Naruto. Naruto was hugging Sakura in the picture._

"_Sakura," Neji inquired, "I hope you don't mind me asking but did Naruto and you became boyfriend and girlfriend?"_

_  
Sakura laughed. "No. We were just close friends and besides, Naruto loves Hinata."_

"_You're right." Neji sighed. "Ready?"_

_Sakura nodded. "Let's go." _

_Neji and Sakura walked towards the lake. There was a table with two chairs. On the table, the food was already there. Neji used silver china and porcelain plates. He used crystal goblets and he had the finest red wine for the occasion._

_The Hyuuga family was as prominent as the Uchiha family. The Hyuuga family was famous for their Byakugan just as the Uchiha family was famous for their Sharingan. Both families were rich and they were known for being great ninjas. Because of that prominence, they got a lot of missions and got rich in the process. Since the Uchiha family was massacred, the Hyuuga family was now the richest and most prominent family in Konoha. That was the reason why Neji used such expensive items._

_Neji took out the chair and Sakura sat down. Neji sat on the opposite side. "I hope you like the dinner I made."_

_Sakura looked at him. "You can cook?"_

"_Yes." Neji added, "Hinata said I was good. She tasted some of my cooking and that's what she said."_

_Sakura sliced a piece of roasted chicken on her plate. She nibbled on it and exclaimed, "It's wonderful, Neji." She ate another piece. "You're a great cook."_

_When they finished eating, Neji took out a cassette player from underneath the table. He opened the cassette player and placed a music tape inside. He pressed the play button and soft, sweet music played._

_Neji stood up, walked toward Sakura, and offered his hand. "Would you like to dance?" Neji asked._

_Sakura nodded. She took his hand and stood up. "Okay."_

_Neji and Sakura danced a slow dance. Her hands were on his shoulders while his hands were on her waist. They made eye contact every few seconds. And each time they had eye contact, Neji blushed. Sakura would look away, as if she was thinking of someone else._

"_Sakura, I…" Neji started, "I hope you're having a great time with me."_

"_Of course I am." Sakura answered, "It was nice of you to do all of these for me."_

"_It's because I…" Neji looked into her eyes. Her eyes stared into his. "I love you, Sakura. I know I won't be able to replace him but I really love you. Use me if you want. I won't mind. I love you that much sometimes it hurts."_

"_Neji…" Sakura replied, "I don't know what to say. I…"_

"_Please," Neji pleaded, "Could you be mine, even just for one day?"_

"_I…" Sakura looked away. "Neji, I can't do this to you."_

_Neji held her cheek and made her look at him again. Her eyes were confused. Tears were starting to accumulate in her eyes. "Sakura, try to learn to love me." With that, he inched a little closer and kissed her._

_A tear slid down her cheek. 'I'm sorry, Neji.' She kissed him back._

_After a moment, they broke their kiss. Neji asked, "Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't…"_

_Sakura pressed her index finger on his lips. "Don't say anything, Neji." Sakura placed her head on his shoulder. "I'll try. I'll really, really try, Neji."_

_Neji hugged her. "Thank you, my cherry blossom."_

Neji sighed again. He and Sakura became a couple for three months. They were happy. People always said that they were perfect for each other and they were meant to be. But Sakura always thought of Sasuke instead of Neji. Neji was okay with that. He didn't mind that he was only temporary in her life; at least he was once in her life. Neji tried to become permanent in her life.

_Neji and Sakura were walking together around Konoha. They walked together hand-in-hand. It was their third month as boyfriend and girlfriend. Neji held a small box inside his pocket. He wanted to ask her at the right moment. He started, "Sakura, I love you."_

_Sakura pecked his cheek. "I love you too."_

_Neji asked her, "If I asked you to marry me, would you say yes?"_

_Sakura looked at him. "Of course I would."_

_Neji was surprised. 'Am I hallucinating or something? She just said that she'll say yes if I ask her. What about him?' A million reasons ran through his mind._

_Sakura wondered, "Neji, are you okay? You're spacing out."_

"_What?" Neji snapped back to reality. "Oh, yes. I'm okay." He clutched the box tighter. _

_They were now crossing the bridge. The moon was full and it shone brightly with the stars. Neji felt that it was the right moment so he stopped walking._

_Sakura looked at him. "What's the matter?"_

"_Sakura," Neji knelt down on one knee. "I hope I'm not going too fast for you but…" He took out the box and showed her a silver ring with three diamonds embedded. "Will you marry me?" Neji held her hand and looked at her, expecting for an answer._

_Sakura just looked at him. She hesitated to answer' yes' because she still loved him. But for the past three months, she loved Neji. She was confused; who was the right choice, Neji or Sasuke?_

_Neji added, "Sakura, you don't have to answer me today. I know I'm going too fast."_

"_An engagement…" Sakura answered, "It sounds like fun."_

"_You mean…" Neji's eyes grew wider. 'She's not kidding!'_

"_Yes. I do." Sakura answered. _

_Neji jumped up and hugged her. "Yes! You made me the happiest man alive, Sakura!"_

_Sakura smiled. 'At least, this would help me move on."_

_The next day, Neji told his family about their engagement. The family was happy about the engagement. Naruto and Hinata congratulated them after the official announcement._

"_Congratulations, Neji." Naruto said, "I thought you won't get hitched, you lucky stiff."_

"_Hey!" Neji retorted, "You're the lucky one; you get to marry my cousin when I thought no one could marry you, you ramen-eating ninja." They brawled._

_Hinata's and Sakura's sweats dropped. "Hehe." Hinata said, "We're going to be cousins from now on." _

_Sakura smiled. "Yeah. I'm going to be related to Naruto as well. When is the big day for both of you?"_

"_Not yet decided." Hinata answered, "But it will be soon. You and Neji will be next." Then, an idea struck Hinata. "I know! Why don't we have a double wedding? It costs less and the whole Hyuuga clan will be there. What do you think?"_

_Sakura pondered the idea for a moment. "I think that's a grand idea, Hinata." She smiled. "I'll ask Neji if he likes the idea."_

Neji entered the Hyuuga clan main house. He was greeted by relatives; all he did was wave at them. He walked into his family's house and entered his room to ponder about what happened next.

_Neji, Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata were making plans about the double wedding. Both Neji and Naruto liked the idea of the double wedding. They were planning on having the wedding at the Hyuuga main house gardens._

"_The garden is spacious enough." Hinata said, "Sakura and I are going to make a grand entrance as we cross the bridge and into the pavilion."_

"_That's a nice idea." Neji nodded. "We'll be inside the pavilion as we watch the wedding march."_

_Then, the most disturbing news came from Hinata's sibling, Hanabi. "Nee-chan, Nii-chan!" She said, panting. "Master Tsunade said that Uchiha Itachi is dead!"_

_Sakura looked at Hanabi. "Where did the news come from?"_

"_From Master Tsunade herself…" Hanabi added, "Uchiha Sasuke was the one who killed Uchiha Itachi. But Uchiha Sasuke isn't back yet."_

_Neji looked at Sakura. He frowned. 'I guess it's over.'_

_Naruto and Hinata stared at Neji. They knew perfectly well what was going to happen. 'Poor Neji…' Hinata thought. 'I hope he could get over this.'_

_Sakura and Hanabi were talking about the news. They got a world of their own and didn't care about the others inside the room._

_Neji stood up which made everybody looked at him. "I'm going somewhere for a while. Please excuse me." He left the room without looking back._

_Sakura stared at him. 'Oh no! I'm really sorry, Neji… I shouldn't have...'_

_Hinata asked her, "What are you going to do now, Sakura?"_

_Sakura looked at Hinata. "I don't know actually."_

"_Darn it, Sakura." Naruto remarked, "You're engaged to Neji now. Why are you still interested in Sasuke?"_

"_I…" Sakura didn't answer Naruto's question. She loved Sasuke all this time even if she's with Neji. 'Neji…' Every time that the thought of Neji crossed her mind, she felt so bad. She was in love with another guy while she was with Neji. _

_Hinata said, "Go after him."_

_  
Sakura nodded and stood up. "I'll go now." Hinata waved. Naruto gave her thumbs up! She smiled and left. _

_Sakura walked around the Hyuuga main house. A few minutes later, she saw Neji on the pavilion they were talking about a while ago. He was sitting on the ledge, staring at the pond. "Neji…"_

_Neji looked at her. He smiled. "Sakura…"_

"_I'm sorry. I…" Sakura stammered, "I'm really sorry."_

_Neji walked towards her and held her. "I'm letting you go."_

_Sakura looked up at Neji. "You…"_

"_Yes." He kissed her forehead. "Don't be burdened because of me. If you love him, go for it. I'm just glad I'm a part of your life, even if it's just temporary." He held her tighter "I want to hold you like this for a moment. I hope you don't mind."_

_Sakura looked at Neji. Tears came down from both of their eyes. Sakura inched a little closer and kissed Neji's lips. It lasted for a moment. _

_When Sakura broke their kiss, she said, "Thank you." After that, she ran out of the pavilion. She ran out of Neji's life._

_Neji just watched her run. Inside, he wanted to go after her. He wanted them to stay together. But… _

"I love her so much that I just have to let her go." Neji sighed. After all that recollecting, he decided to sleep. He wanted to forget Sakura but it was difficult. All that happened just two weeks ago, after all.



Sakura retreated back to her house after seeing Neji. It was hard for her too. She tried loving him during those three months. She did. She loved him but inside, she loved Sasuke which made her feel bad. Sakura entered her room and decided to sleep. Then, before drifting into complete sleep, a thought came to her mind.

"Should I tell Sasuke about Neji and me?"



**Author's Notes:**

You see, I have to cut it here since it's already 10 pages long in MS Word. IF I add the rest of the story, it's going to be 20 pages in MS Word. Too long to read! So I'm posting this story by chapters now. I really intend this to be a one-shot but, you already know my reasons.

If you liked this one, please read my other Naruto one-shots titled: Always and Forever, Your Cherry Blossom and A Frozen Cherry Blossom.

Standard Disclaimer Apply.


	2. Battle Between Sharingan and Byakugan

When all that was happening in Konoha, Sasuke was on his mission. Since the death of the two conspiracies of Konoha, Sasuke was happy. He got his revenge. He got out from Orochimaru's plans and best of all, he had Sakura now. He had to catch up on things with her once he got back. He had to know what she did while he was gone.

His mission that day was rather easy. It was just to get a secret scroll from this hermit on the mountain. But the mountain was occupied by wild animals. Surely, Sasuke could beat them but he still took precaution and brought more konais and shurikens than usual.

He took the main path, which was less dangerous. Master Tsunade said that the hermit, Mitsukage, lived inside a cave on the east side of the mountain path. He walked to reserve his chakra for climbing the mountain.

He finally reached the foot of the mountain and decided to climb it with the use of chakra but somehow, he wasn't able to use it. Something was preventing him from using it. He kept falling on his behind every time he tried.

"Damn." Sasuke remarked, "The hermit must have used chakra on this mountain." He decided to climb the mountain the old fashioned way.

An hour passed by. He found the cave and a very old man inside it. "Come in, boy."

Sasuke followed his order. He looked around. The cave was furnished with makeshift furniture. The bed was made of straw covered with a piece of cloth. On the makeshift shelves, there were numerous scrolls, bottles, and papers.

"Master Mitsukage," Sasuke started, "Master Tsunade, the fifth Hokage, asked me to get the Scroll of Fertility from you."

Master Mitsukage exclaimed, "Tsunade? I heard a great deal about Tsunade from Sarutobi. I was thinking that Jiraiya would be Hokage. But yes, the Scroll of Fertility is what she wants. Wait a minute." He stood up and walked toward the makeshift shelves. "You must be an Uchiha, judging from that sign on your back."

"How did you see…" Sasuke wondered.

"I saw it when you came in, boy." Master Mitsukage said, "Your clan is one of the best Too bad you're the only one left. It's difficult to marry an Uchiha, you know." He kept fiddling with the scrolls.

"What do you mean difficult?" Sasuke inquired. "My cousins get married easily."

"You didn't know what their partners went through, though. Have you noticed that when an Uchiha marries, the married couple looks alike? Also, have you noticed that all of the offspring of Uchihas have the advance bloodline called Sharingan?" Master Mitsukage told Sasuke his observations. Sasuke didn't notice those before but Master Mitsukage was right.

"What about it?" Sasuke asked.

"I can see that you have someone special in your heart." Master Mitsukage included, "You want to rebuild your clan with this girl but you don't even know what she has to undergo before you could finally live together and have smaller versions of both of you."

"What do you mean…How did… I didn't…" Sasuke was amazed of the hermit's knowledge. "I didn't say anything like that and yet, you knew…"

"Lad," Master Mitsukage looked at him. "Look at my eyes."

Sasuke was shocked. "That is the Sharingan! But wait," He stared at the other one. "That one is the Byakugan. How did that happen?"

"The elders of families with advance bloodlines usually make arranged marriages for the clan members. They chose who is strong and brave enough to undergo the Rituals of Transformation." Master Mitsukage explained. "Those couples who don't undergo those rituals risked the abnormality of the bloodline. Hatake Kakashi was an example. His mother was Uchiha Yukina. Hatake Gyojo wasn't that brave enough to undergo the Rituals of Transformation. Now, look at Hatake Kakashi. He had Sharingan in one eye and a normal eye on the other. He was disowned as an Uchiha, together with Gyojo and Yukina. Gyojo was killed in a mission. Because of depression, Uchiha Yukina died. That's why Hatake Kakashi was alone and barely used his Sharingan." He paused for a moment. "As for my case, my father was a Hyuuga and my mother was an Uchiha. It was difficult for both clans. The other clan wants the Sharingan to stay. The other clan wants the Byakugan to remain. My parents decided to run off and lived in the outskirts of town. When they had me, they were surprised. One eye was the Sharingan of my mother and the other was the Byakugan of my father. They loved me so dearly but people were afraid of me. Some called me a freak, even a monster. When I finally completed my studies as a ninja, I seek refuge here. That was how I lived since then." Master Mitsukage gave him two scrolls, a piece of paper, and a potion.

"What are these?" Sasuke asked him.

"The paper indicates the rules and the steps for the Rituals of Transformation. The potion is for the first stage and the other scroll is for the last stage of the rituals." Master Mitsukage said, "The Rituals of Transformation of the Hyuuga clan is easier, you know. The genes of the Byakugan are really strong so the Hyuuga family doesn't perform the Rituals. The Uchiha clan is rather complicated."

"Thank you, Master Mitsukage." Sasuke said, "You have been very helpful."

"Your welcome." Master Mitsukage said.

Sasuke left Master Mitsukage and headed back to Konoha. On the way, he read the instructions. After doing so, he sighed. "This is going to be tough for her."

He ran back to Konoha and immediately gave the Scroll of Fertility to Master Tsunade. Master Tsunade was proud of him and praised him. "Sasuke, I'm so pleased with you. You had been able to kill one of Konoha's conspiracies." Master Tsunade added, "I'm really proud of you. Sakura must be happy for you."

Sasuke blushed. "I guess she is."

"But did she tell you about her engagement with Neji?" Master Tsunade added, "Poor guy... When you came back, Sakura backed out on the engagement."

Sasuke looked at Master Tsunade. 'She was engaged and she never told me?'

Master Tsunade continued, "But you are the best choice to marry her. Both of you are perfect for each…" Master Tsunade stopped. She looked for Sasuke. Then, she sighed, "Aw. Young love…. I miss the old days…"

!

Sasuke left after hearing about Sakura and Neji. 'She shouldn't have left him. She wouldn't suffer those stupid rituals if she didn't leave him. Why?' He ran back to Sakura's house and didn't bother knocking on the door. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT NEJI AND YOU?"

Sakura was in the kitchen, making dinner for herself. She knew Sasuke won't be back but when she was startled when she heard Sasuke scream, especially when he said 'Neji'. She ran towards the door and saw a very angry Sasuke on her doorstep.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Sakura argued, "I mean I wanted to but you left so suddenly!"

"Well, if you're already engaged, why did you break up with him?" Sasuke retorted, "YOU SHOULDN'T HURT PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"

Sakura got insulted. "IT WASN'T MY FAULT! I TOLD HIM THAT I REALLY LOVE YOU BUT HE DIDN'T CARE!"

"YOU SHOULD'VE LOVE HIM BACK AND FORGET ABOUT ME!" Sasuke shouted at her. He could see that tears were present in those emerald eyes that he loved.

Sakura shouted back, "SO NOW YOU DON'T CARE THAT I LOVE YOU SO MUCH?" Tears fell down from her eyes. She brushed off Sasuke when she went out. She looked at his back. "I HATE YOU!" Then, she ran.

Sasuke fell down on his knees. "I'm really sorry that I have to hurt you like this." Tears fell down from his eyes. "I'm really sorry." He closed the door and left.

!

Sakura ran; tears continued to drop from her eyes. She didn't care that everybody could see her. She didn't care about anything at all.

Naruto was eating ramen at his favorite restaurant with Hinata and Neji. Of course, Naruto and Hinata were lovey-dovey while Neji was some kind of third wheel. Neji stared at his ramen bowl.

"Come on, Naruto. Say "ah"…" Hinata was feeding him dumplings. "Say "ah"…" Naruto opened his mouth and Hinata placed the dumpling in his mouth.

Hinata was about to feed Naruto another dumpling when she saw someone wearing a red dress and blue sandals running. "Neji…" She shook Neji's shoulder. The older Hyuuga looked at her. "Sakura's running over there."

"Are you sure it's her?" Neji asked Hinata.

Hinata nodded. "She's the only one in Konoha who wears blue sandals and a red dress."

Neji stood up and followed Sakura. He ran out of the city and used his Byakugan to locate her. Then, he found her. She was sitting on the ground near the river. Her head rested on her knees.

"Sakura," Neji approached her. "Are you alright?"

Sakura looked at him. Her eyes were a little bit red from crying and her face was wet from tears. But she smiled at him. "I'm okay."

"You don't look okay." Neji suddenly asked, "Did Sasuke make you cry?" His brows were knitted together with a frown.

Sakura instantly shook her head. "No, he didn't make me cry. Don't worry, Neji. I'm fine."

Neji doubted her words but he wrapped his arm over her. "Why don't you stay at the Hyuuga main house tonight with Hinata? If you don't like to, I'd take you to Choji and Ino's place."

She shook her head. "I'm fine, really. Leave me here. I'd go home later."

Neji sighed. "Are you really sure?"

Sakura nodded and smiled. "I promise you that." She went back to her original position. 'I must've looked pathetic in his eyes.'

Neji stood up and ran back to Konoha. "Sasuke… you're gonna pay for making her cry…"

!

Sasuke went to his old home years ago. Everything was dusty. He started dusting his bed by removing the covers carefully. The mattress seemed fine to him. He laid down there and stared at the cob webs on the ceiling.

Out of the blue, somebody banged the door. "OPEN UP, UCHIHA!" He knew who that voice belonged to – Hyuuga Neji.

"It's open…" Then, he muttered, "…bastard."

Neji opened the door. Since Sasuke's place was an apartment, Neji was standing right in front of Sasuke. However, Neji didn't hear his last remark but he was angry, none the less. "UCHIHA SASUKE, STAND UP!"

Sasuke didn't bother to look at him. "What's your problem?"

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE SAKURA CRY LIKE THAT, BASTARD?" Neji shouted at him. "WHY?"

"It's your fault, actually." Sasuke closed her eyes. "If you didn't break up with her, I wouldn't have been angry with her."

"She wasn't the one who broke our engagement." Neji added, "I was the one who broke up with her."

"None the less, you should've defended what you have with her." Sasuke retorted, "If you really love her, go get her. I don't care."

"Why?" Neji hit himself mentally. 'What a stupid question!'

"Because I don't love her anymore…" Sasuke added, "Now, if you're satisfied, you can go away now."

Neji was furious with his answer. He knew how much Sakura loved that bastard and now, he was just going to leave her like that. He took one of his konais and threw it at him.

The problem was that Sasuke was faster than Neji. He took out one of his own konais and made the one that Neji threw fall on the floor. "Don't throw those at me. I didn't kill Itachi just like that, you know."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Neji retorted, "That killing your brother made you stronger?"

He answered coldly. "Yes." He rolled over his side so he faced the window.

"Why you…." Neji threw three shurikens.

Sasuke blocked those shurikens. "Missed me again…"

"Stand up and fight like a man." Neji was a little annoyed now. "Maybe you're too chicken to fight with me."

Sasuke got insulted and looked at him. "If that's what you want…" He stood up. "Fine… Let's take this battle in the outskirts."

Neji obliged and ran towards the outskirts of the village. Sasuke followed. The outskirts looked peaceful as the wind blew by. The outskirts were covered with green grass that outlined the forest.

As of that moment, two figures stood there, ready to fight. Neji activated his Byakugan while Sasuke activated his Sharingan. At that turning point, the fight began.

Neji made the first attack. "Hakkesho Kaiten!" (Eight Trigram Palms Heavenly Spin) He stroked at one of Sasuke's tenketsu (Chakra holes). "One."

Sasuke fell on his knee for a moment. "You're strong. I didn't see that one coming."

Neji was about to touch him again when Sasuke used his ShiShi Rendan (Lion Combo). He punched Neji's stomach a few times and kicked him. It sent Neji flying in the air. Then, Sasuke jumped and does the Kage Buyou (Shadow Leaf Dance). After that, Sasuke kicked Neji but Neji blocked it. What Neji didn't know was that Sasuke was ready to hit his face. That made Neji fell down.

Sasuke stood in front of Neji. He smirked, "I told you… ARGH!"

"Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight!" Neji touched seven chakra holes on Sasuke's legs.

It made Sasuke fall down on his back. "I let my guard down."

They stood up and continued to beat each other up. Blood was dripping from their faces. Some of their bones were broken as well. Their chakra levels were low but they were still standing, glaring at each other.

Sasuke yelled, "I told you that you can have her."

"Why?" Neji's eyes were starting to water. "Can't you see that she loves you that much? She loves you…"

"I CAN'T BEAR TO HURT HER BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" That was Sasuke's unexpected answer.

Neji seemed shocked. But he replied angrily. "HOW CAN YOU BREAK HER HEART AND SAY THAT YOU LOVE HER?"

Sasuke fell down to his knees and beat the ground. "I love her a lot but if I want to be together forever with her, she has to…"

"… to do the Rituals of Transformation." Hatake Kakashi said. The two boys stopped and looked at him.

"Why are you here, Sir Kakashi?" Sasuke stood up and cleaned his knees. They got dirty because of the ground.

"I was here because I saw you two fighting." Kakashi added, "I wanted to see the battle between Sharingan and Byakugan."

"What did you mean by the 'Rituals of Transformation'?" Neji was curious. "And why does Sakura have to do that in order to be together with Sasuke?"

Kakashi sighed and took a deep breath. "The Rituals of Transformation is used in order to transform a man or a woman into a different person. These rituals were specifically used to keep the advance bloodlines normal. Unlike the Hyuuga clan, the Uchiha clan performs these rituals to make sure that no abnormalities form."

"What type of abnormalities?" Neji asked him. Sasuke also listened even if he knew what Kakashi was saying.

Kakashi showed Neji his Sharingan. "This is on example of the abnormalities I'm talking about."

Neji was amazed. Neji inquired, "My clan doesn't do those rituals when a relative marries. Why?"

"The Byakugan bloodline is strong unless it is stopped by another bloodline." Kakashi asked, "Sasuke, you met the hermit Master Mitsukage, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "He had the Sharingan and the Byakugan all together."

Neji didn't ask anymore questions. Now, he understood why Sasuke pushed Sakura away from him. He didn't want to make her undergo those rituals. He looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke had a sad look on his face. A painter won't be able to paint his face. "Neji," He looked at his opponent. "Did you see Sakura?"

Neji nodded. "She's on the river banks, sitting and crying by herself. I offered her to stay at the main house but she declined."

"I'm sorry, Neji – for hurting you that is." Sasuke apologized. He never did that before but he felt that it was right to do so. After all, he was the reason why he and Sakura didn't end up together.

"Don't be." Neji looked in the other direction and started to walk away. But then, he halted. "Just don't hurt her again because if you do, I'm going to kill you." He continued walking and never looked back.

Kakashi sighed. "Love's powerful, huh?"

Sasuke nodded. "I know. Is there a way not to do those rituals? I don't want to hurt her…"

Kakashi shook his head. "Both of you are risking to have children with the same condition as mine." He added, "And didn't you want to rebuild the Uchiha clan with Sakura? If you're going to do so, those children should have Sharingan on both eyes."

"I know…" Sasuke argued. "But the rituals' were too difficult."

"Ah…" Kakashi was surprised. "So you knew…"

"Master Mitsukage told me." Sasuke answered, "He gave me the essential things…"

"Don't have doubts if you really love Sakura." Kakashi said, "I knew from the very beginning that she loves you a lot. You just have to trust her. If she really loves you, she'd do anything for you."

Sasuke smiled at his old teacher. "Thank you, Sir Kakashi."

"Go get her, Sasuke."

Sasuke waved and ran as fast as he could to the river banks. He ran and ran until he saw her there. He wasn't surprised to see her like that. He knew she was strong and brave. But sometimes, a brave person needed to let the emotions get out and that was what Sakura was doing – venting her emotions through tears.

Sakura was crying; she didn't have any idea that Neji and Sasuke fought. She just cried. She didn't knew why would he do that to her. She was so confused and depressed.

Sasuke approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, Sakura."

Sakura raised her head but didn't dare to look at him. "Why did you even have doubts about my love for you?"

Sasuke pondered on her question and gave her a simple answer. "I guess I was scared."

She asked him a simple question. "Scared of what?"

Sasuke answered, "Of losing you…"

"You'll never lose me, Sasuke." Sakura snuggled in. "I love you that much…."

"What if you had to face death in order to be with me, would you still…?" He can't finish his question because Sakura suddenly kissed him.

"Yes…" Sakura whispered as she broke their kiss. "I'd do it even if I had to face death."

They just stayed there all night. Inside his arms was the girl of his dreams. She was happy. All the sadness disappeared and the pain was gone.

But behind the three someone was watching them. Sadness could be seen in his eyes but, out of the blue, he smiled. "Be happy, Sakura." He looked away and carried a knap sack on his back. He stared to walk away from them, from sadness, and from Konoha.

!

**Author's Notes:**

Okay. Okay. Don't hate me because it isn't over yet! It seems like it's over but no, it isn't. Sakura has to perform the Rituals of Transformation, remember?

I hope this chapter didn't take too long. I had a little difficulty in researching about the battle. I wanna thank for providing me with the data of the attacks and such.

Oh, yeah, thank you to the following for reviewing and I sympathize with them about Neji. I know it's sad but not everything's perfect in life: JusticeDream, KarmaLord, sillymail, and mfpeach

**Preview for Chapter 3: A Mission to Forget**

"_I'm glad you came to see me." Master Tsunade said to Neji. "I have a three-man mission for you and two others."_

_Neji answered, "I was hoping you have one for me – alone, Master Tsunade."_

_Master Tsunade shook her head. "This mission requires three people namely Aburame Shino, Kiba, and you, Hyuuga Neji." She paused for a moment as the other two men came out from the other room. _

"_Hi-ya!" Kiba said. Akamaru barked. Shino just nodded._

_Master Tsunade continued, "I want the three of you to find a few things for me. First, I want you to find a certain bug called Mangekyou. This bug could change colors and shape. That's the reason it's really hard to find. Second, I need you to find special roots. Those roots had certain scents that I'll let you smell later on. Lastly, I want you to find a woman named Tsubasa Makoto. According to my sources, she lives in the Wave Country as of the moment. She usually moves a lot but I think she's there."_

_Neji looked confused. "I can't see the relevance of these things…"_

"_These are the ingredients to use in order to do the reverse form of the Rituals of Transformation." Master Tsunade concluded._

Standard Disclaimer Apply.


	3. A Mission to Forget

_After Neji left Sasuke and Sir Kakashi, all he wanted to do was to go and forget. He wanted to do a mission or something to help him forget about Sakura. He decided to ask any mission from Master Tsunade so he came to her office that night. Neji knocked on the door._

_He heard her say, "Come in." Master Tsunade was seated behind a table with a bunch of paperwork. But she looked at Neji and smiled. "I'm glad you came to see me." Master Tsunade said to Neji. "I have a three-man mission for you and two others."_

_Neji answered, "I was hoping you have one for me – alone, Master Tsunade."_

_Master Tsunade shook her head. "This mission requires three people namely Aburame Shino, Inozuka Kiba, and you, Hyuuga Neji." She paused for a moment as the other two men came out from the other room. _

"_Hi-ya!" Kiba said. Akamaru barked. Shino just nodded._

_Master Tsunade continued, "I want the three of you to find a few things for me. First, I want you to find a certain bug called Mangekyou. This bug could change colors and shape. That's the reason it's really hard to find. Second, I need you to find special roots. Those roots had certain scents that I'll let you smell later on. Lastly, I want you to find a woman named Tsubasa Makoto. According to my sources, she lives in the Wave Country as of the moment. She usually moves a lot but I think she's there."_

_Neji looked confused. "I can't see the relevance of these things…"_

"_These are the ingredients to use in order to do the reverse form of the Rituals of Transformation." Master Tsunade concluded. "I got a note from Master Mitsukage that he told Sasuke about the rituals and I'm sure he wants to rebuild his clan. I just want to be prepared just in case he doesn't like the result of the rituals."_

"_What does that mean, Master Tsunade?" Neji was, of course, concerned for Sakura._

_Master Tsunade explained, "You see, the Rituals of Transformation stand for its name. It transforms the person into someone who has an advance bloodline, just like you, Neji. The rituals required something people can't see – love and trust. Once love is present, the rituals will become a success. But if the other element, trust, isn't present, the person undergoing the rituals could not get his/her old characteristics back. Mostly, he/she will become the total opposite of his/her real personality. The love will be useless and things won't be the same again." Master Tsunade paused for a moment. "But there's a way to reverse this and those things I asked you to find are the key ingredients to it. For a fact, this is an advantage to you, Hyuuga Neji." Neji merely nodded. "You shall leave immediately for the trip to the Wave Country plus searching for Makoto takes a long time and searching for the Mangekyo is no joke." She took out a scroll. "I have the scent samples inside this scroll. You just have to use chakra to smell them." She handed Kiba the scroll. "Now, go."_

_Immediately, the three ninjas left. Their things were already packed so they could start. But, before leaving the city, Neji asked them, "Could I pass by a place before going?" The other two nodded. He went to where he last saw Sakura. There he was, hiding among the trees. He saw her there with another guy hugging her. He smiled but sadness could be seen in his white eyes. "Be happy, Sakura." Then, he walked away and called, "Shino, Kiba, let's go."_

"_You'll get over it." Shino told him._

_He didn't give any comment or reaction. He just continued to jump over the tree branches with other two ninjas._

!

Neji told them, "We should stop for the night. We can continue the mission tomorrow."

They camped out in the woods. Kiba made the tent and Neji started the fire. He stared at the flames flickering as Shino cooked dinner.

"You really love her right?" Shino asked suddenly.

Neji looked at him and asked, "Why do you…"

"I just noticed and I heard that you got engaged to her once." Shino added, "I suggest you move on. She isn't gonna come running back to you now that she's with Uchiha…"

Neji just nodded. "I know."

"Besides," Kiba joined in their conversation. "There are a lot of girls in Konoha. You could marry one of your fan girls if you like. There's like a hundred to choose from." Kiba sat down beside Neji.

"Sakura's different, though."

Shino protested, "Well, if she's different, you shouldn't have let her go. If you love her that much, you should have protected her from him."

"That's what happened between you and Hinata, right?" Neji retorted, "YOU DIDN'T PROTECT HER FROM NARUTO!"

"MY CASE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE I KNOW NARUTO WILL LOVE HER A LOT. SASUKE WILL JUST HURT SAKURA FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Shino calmed down a little. It was true. He liked Hinata. She was Shino's type of girl – calm and patient. Shino didn't want her to go under his family's Rituals of Transformation so he set aside his feelings for her.

Kiba let them argue about their love-lives. Of course, like any normal man, he loved someone. He liked the Hyuuga girl as much as Shino did. No one knew. He kept it a secret for a long time and he didn't intend to tell anyone until now that Hinata was getting married to Naruto. He stared at the flames flicker as his other two comrades stopped talking and did the same thing he did – stare at the flames.

Neji broke their momentary silence when he asked Kiba, "What's your story?"

"No story to tell." Kiba answered him.

Shino looked at him. "No story, you say?"

Kiba nodded. "Yes." Then, he stood up. "I'm going to bed now." He walked away from the campfire and entered their tent. Akamaru was always there but he didn't make a sound. Why? Because he sympathized with the three men with broken hearts, he didn't want to make any unnecessary sounds.

Shino and Neji kept staring at the fire. No one made a sound. Each of the three ninjas wanted to recollect their pasts with their certain loved one except for Neji. It hurt him a little too much.

_It was sunset. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata walked down the road. They were on a new mission. It was to find a missing princess in a certain hidden village. They were headed to the village when suddenly…_

"_Ah!" Hinata exclaimed as she suddenly tripped over a rock and landed on her knees. She touched her ankle. "Ouch. It hurts."_

_Shino immediately approached Hinata and looked at her ankle. "It's sprained. We better rest for the night."_

"_I'm sorry. We're almost at the village now. Maybe I could…" Hinata tried standing up and then, she fell again. "I'm really sorry…"_

_Shino removed a strand of hair in front of her face. "It's okay." He carried her inside her arms. "I hope you don't mind that I carried you like this."_

_Hinata shook her head and smiled at him. 'This is unusual. I really troubled them this time…'_

_Kiba, however, made no comment but Akamaru saw something different. He saw jealousy and sadness in Kiba's eyes. It was unlike him, really. He didn't make any sound and continued walking._

_Shino held the girl he loved a lot in his arms. He showed no particular emotion of happiness and love. He let her see his usual cold self while he carried her. They reached an empty clearing and Shino ordered, "Kiba, set up the tent. We need to get her to lie down and rest."_

_With a heavy heart, Kiba set up the tent. He made the tent as fast as he could. He glanced for a moment and he saw…_

_Shino put down Hinata on a tree stump. Shino knelt down and looked at Hinata's ankle and held it with care. Hinata was flinching because of the pain. "Sorry." Shino said. "You're not badly hurt, though."_

_Hinata smiled wearily. "I'm really sorry for causing a lot of trouble."_

"_Don't speak." Shino said, "Just be okay tomorrow. That's what matters." Mentally, he hit himself. 'Damn! I should have said something… well… sweeter!' He walked away and started a fire._

_Kiba finished setting up the tent and approached Hinata. She sat on the tree stump, watching Shino light up some wood. Kiba asked, "Are you okay now?"_

_Hinata smiled. "Yes."_

_Kiba didn't know what to say. He was speechless. Akamaru broke the silence by barking happily. Both ninjas looked at him._

"_He seemed happy." Hinata said. She gazed at the sky._

"_Yes. I guess he is." Kiba answered. He looked at the sky like Hinata._

"_It's beautiful, huh?"_

"_Yes, you are."_

_Startled, Hinata asked, "Excuse me?"_

"_It's beautiful; it's meant for the sky." Kiba reasoned out immediately. "Uhm… I'll better get you inside the tent now. You need to rest." Kiba slowly carried Hinata. _

_Hinata wasn't that heavy at all. But she was embarrassed, being carried like that. Hinata held on; she wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_Kiba felt blood rush through his veins in his face. 'I must look like a tomato. I hope she doesn't notice.'_

_Shino saw them and his eyebrows knitted. 'Damn it! I should be the one doing that.' He glared at Kiba's back. 'Not you!'_

Shino looked at their tent. After that recollection, Shino wanted to know if Kiba felt anything special for Hinata. He looked at Neji. Neji was concentrating on the fire for no valid reason.

!

"_Neji…" He heard her say… "Neji…" His head kept playing the same thing. She was calling him. "Neji…Save me, Neji…"_

Neji was spacing out. He kept hearing her voice. It was ringing inside his head. He doesn't know why exactly. He was puzzled. Why would she say 'save me, Neji.'?

His other two companions walked in front of him. They weren't communicating at all. They kept walking on the forest path.

When they reached a certain point, Shino said, "The Mangekyou… it's nearby."

Neji muttered, "BYAKUGAN." Of course there were a lot of bugs in the forest. He saw all of them. There was one thing that looked like it was alive but it was a rock. He told Shino, "Is that the bug?" He pointed at the rock.

Shino approached the rock. He held it carefully and looked at it. He nodded. "This is the Mangekyou."

Kiba took out a small transparent bottle. "Place him in here."

Shino carefully placed the rock inside the bottle. The rock instantly turned into a red beetle-like bug. "So that is the true form of the Mangekyou. No wonder it is named like that." Shino exclaimed.

"What are we going to find next?" Kiba asked them.

"Most probably we have to find the roots." Neji asked, "You have the scroll, right Kiba?"

Kiba nodded. He took out the scroll from his bag. "Akamaru has to smell the scents so he could find them… Akamaru, where are you?" The dog barked. He was on Kiba's head. Kiba got used to it so he didn't really notice that he was there. Kiba smiled and held his dog. "You're going to sniff out some things for me, okay?" The dog barked again.

Kiba opened the scroll and laid it on the ground. He let his chakra pass through his palms and into the paper. Several bottles appeared. Inside the bottles, there were slips of paper.

Kiba told his pal, "Akamaru, help me out, okay?" The dog barked. Kiba opened one bottle with the label Herron Roots. He took out one piece of paper and let Akamaru sniff it out. It was a slow process but after three consecutive days, they were able to find all of the roots.

On their fourth night in the woods, they made a camp, like always but this time, Shino was early in bed. His comrades didn't know the reason why he slept that early but they just let him do so.

"Whew!" Kiba exclaimed. "We're almost done. Just one more task…"

"We just have to find Master Tsubasa Makoto." Neji added, "According to the information I got from Master Tsunade, she's a medical ninja as well. She tied with Master Tsunade in becoming the top one medical ninja of their time. Her work basically revolves around rituals and potions. She makes antidotes to poisons for a living since she retired as a ninja."

Kiba was amazed. "Wow! I can't believe it. Is she a Sannin?"

Neji shook his head. "Before she could become one, she decided to quit for no apparent reason."

"I see…" The two ninjas went silent again. The firewood crackled as the flames devoured the wood.

"Hey," Neji said, "Remember that conversation we had four nights ago? Are you sure that you have no story to tell?"

Kiba looked at him and went back to staring at the flames. "You see, being me is a little difficult. I'm not good-looking or spunky or intelligent. I'm just Kiba." Neji looked at him, waiting for a continuation. But he didn't expect what Kiba was going to say next. "Hinata's a nice girl. I really really like her but I'm no match for Naruto…"

"So that's why you care for her that much; it's because you love her." Shino said. He came out of the tent and sat beside Kiba. He placed his arm on his shoulder. "Guess we fell for the wrong girl, huh?"

Kiba smiled at him. "You're not gonna kill me?"

"Why should I?" Shino asked him, "We're friends right? Besides, Hinata's happy now! She's getting married to someone she loves."

Neji chuckled. "Let this be a mission to forget, okay?"

Kiba nodded. "A mission to forget…"

Shino took out some glasses and a bottle of wine. (Hey, let's just say they have one… kay?) He poured some of the wine in the glasses. He raised his glass and said, "To a mission to forget?"

"To a mission to forget..." The others answered and raised their glasses. They drank happily and stayed up till morning, drunk, of course.

!

**Author's Notes:**

How was it? It was out of the blue and I stopped working on it due to my training. As of this moment, I'm a full-pledge officer. I just don't know my rank though. I'm going to find out this coming Saturday. Wish me luck!

Oh yeah, thank you to the reviewers on the second chapter. You know who you are.

_**Preview for Chapter 4: A Side Story**_

_They started with a kiss. A simple kiss got them intimate. Their clothes were scattered on the floor. The lights were dim. No one was at home._

"_Naruto, do you really want to do this? I'm not asking you…"_

"_I want to." He added, "I love you so much."_

_**Standard Disclaimer Apply… Tee-Hee.**_


	4. A Side Story: A Promise of Eternal Love

A Side Story: A Promise of Eternal Love

(Part 1)



Naruto and Hinata were making preparations for their wedding. It was going to happen after four days. Naruto just got home from another mission. He had injuries, of course. Hinata treated each cut and bruise with care.

"Ouch!" Naruto jumped up from pain. "That hurts." He held his arm with a long cut on it.

"It has to hurt." Hinata argued, "If it hurts, it means that the ointment works." Hinata took Naruto's arm again as he sat down beside her. "Now hold still…" She gently dabbed a piece of cotton, wet with ointment on the cut.

Naruto flinched. "It still hurts…"

"I'll just wrap the bandage and we're done." Hinata said joyfully. She carefully bandaged his arm as he watched her.

Naruto remarked sweetly, "You look so happy today, my darling…"

"It's because you're home with me and we're making final preparations…" Hinata asked, "So what will it be, salmon or tuna?"

"Hmm…" Naruto thought of it for a moment. But then he realized something. "What is the fish for?"

Hinata answered, "It's for the reception, silly. We can't just serve ramen for our guests. While you were gone, I already arranged a caterer to handle the job. All they need now is the menu. So far we have my favorite salad and the ramen for the appetizer. Rice is included on the main course. I have to include my father's favorite dish, peking duck. All I need is the vegetables and the fish for the main course. That's the reason I'm asking you which is better, salmon or tuna?"

"I see…" Naruto went silent and thought over it. "How about that fish we ate on our first date?"

"What fish?" Hinata was puzzled. She didn't remember eating fish during their first date.

_Hinata was getting ready for her date with Naruto. Their date consisted of a practical dinner in Naruto's favorite restaurant and a stroll in the park. That was what Naruto told her that morning._

_Hinata was just a simple girl who didn't care that much for stylish clothes. She wore her favorite blue pedal pushers together with her black sleeveless top and blue blazer. Her mother came in when she was just combing her hair in front of the mirror._

"_Hinata, darling, may I come in?" she asked her daughter._

"_Yes, Mom, you can."_

_Hinata's mother was a very attractive woman. She didn't have the Byakugan eyes but still, she was beautiful. Her long midnight blue hair was tied in a bun held by sticks. She wore a long dress and wooden sandals every single day._

_She wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck and remarked, "Hinata, you look wonderful."_

"_Thank you, Mom." Hinata replied._

"_But I have something that will enlighten your beauty a bit more." She removed her arms and slipped on a necklace on Hinata's neck. It was a silver necklace with a pendant shaped like a star. "This was a gift from your father on our first date. I want you to wear it since this will bring you luck. It brought luck to me because it brought me closer to your father."_

"_Aww… Mom, thank you." Hinata hugged her mother. Then, they heard someone come in. _

_It was Naruto. He was dressed in black pants and a white polo. He gave a little wave. "Good evening, Mrs. Hyuuga." Then, he looked at Hinata. "Wow. You look smashing, Hinata."_

"_I'm almost done but, are you sure I'm dressed properly?" She looked at herself in the mirror. "Your attire looks so formal." She placed the belt bag which held her shuriken and konais._

"_Don't worry." Naruto assured her. "It's okay."_

"_If you say so…" Hinata still stared at her outfit, worried. _

_Hinata's mother hugged her again and whispered, "Why don't you go now? We don't want to keep him waiting, okay?"_

_Hinata nodded. She faced Naruto and said, "I'm ready to go now."_

_Hinata's father and sister came in and smiled at them. "Take care of Onne-chan for me, Onni-chan!" Hanabi said playfully. Both Naruto and Hinata blushed. _

_Hinata's mother urged them, "Better go on your way." _

_The two waved good bye and went on their way. They used the main road to go to the special place Naruto had planned for them. Everybody who saw them always bid them a hello and sometimes, the mothers exclaimed, "What a cute couple!"_

_Naruto said, "Here we are." They stopped in front of a very high class restaurant in town called Beau et Sucre. It was a restaurant that served French food like Croissant and other French delicacies. _

"_Naruto…" Hinata looked at the people inside. "Are you sure? This place might be expensive…"_

"_It's no problem." He showed her the frog purse full of money. "I could pay…" Then, he frowned, "If you don't like it here, then…"_

"_It's not that I don't like it here. It's just that…" Hinata thought of the perfect words. She didn't want to offend Naruto. "… I'm not properly dressed and all I want is a normal date. You don't have to spend a lot for me." _

_Naruto let out, "Whew! Glad you said that or I would have pretended not to suffer from indigestion. I'm not fond of French food…" Naruto laughed_

"_Me neither." Hinata giggled. _

_Their laughing moment was interrupted by the waiter of Beau et Sucre. "Don't standby here! You're interrupting our customers." He shouted roughly. He went back inside with a fake smile on his face._

"_What a loser!" Naruto said when he and Hinata walked away. "I am really never going to eat in that horrid restaurant."_

_Hinata joked, "I'd see to that." Then, she asked him, "Where do you want to eat now? Maybe you want to eat at the ramen house?"_

"_I want to take you somewhere special…" Naruto frowned a little. Then, he said, "Why don't you choose, Hinata?"_

_Hinata thought hard for a moment. Then, she had an idea. "I know one place." She took Naruto's hand. "Come." They walked toward a Japanese restaurant called Tsubasa. It looked like an ordinary Japanese store that served sushi and other Japanese delicacies. But something made the place look unique. The place had a romantic atmosphere and the walls were painted black with stars. The tables were black and gothic. The chairs were made of steel and the bar chairs were in the shape of wings._

"_It's a Japanese restaurant so I'm sure that there is ramen available inside." Hinata said. Suddenly, she realized that she was holding Naruto's hand. The color of her cheeks turned from light beige into a shade of red. She let go of his hand. _

_Naruto noticed that and he held hers instead. "I'll escort you inside." They walked inside the store and the place was half full of people. A girl with short brown hair welcomed them inside. "Table for two, please..." Naruto said. The same girl led them to their table. She also left them the menu._

_Naruto scanned the menu. "What will you order? I already picked mine."_

"_How about onigiri (riceball)?" Hinata remarked, "They make such wonderful onigiri here."_

_A boy with brown hair and brown eyes approached them. "What would your order be?" His pen was ready to jot down their orders on a small slip of paper._

_Naruto smiled. "Our order would be one plate of onigiri and a bowl of ramen and tuna sushi, please."_

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed because he finally remembered. "It's tuna!"

Hinata playfully hit his shoulder. "You know you just ruined a sentimental moment for both of us!"

Naruto rubbed his shoulder and looked at her. "I remembered the fish. Isn't that important?"

Hinata smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "It's important but what happened after that is also important. I think it's memorable too."

Naruto nodded. "I guess so…"

_After a while, their order was brought by a man with yellowish hair and a happy face. "Please enjoy your meal." Because of the superb taste of the food, Naruto and Hinata had a wonderful meal. _

"_Thank you for bringing me here, Hinata." Naruto added, "If it weren't for you, we would have been eating French instead of Japanese." He stuck his tongue out and said, "Yuck to French food!"_

_Hinata laughed. "I should be the one thanking you, Naruto. After all, you asked me out on a date." Hinata became quiet after her last remark. She had been open to him; too open to be exact. 'I bet he can see right through me now.' She blushed._

_Suddenly, Naruto told her, "You know, Hinata, I like you because you're so timid and kind." Then, he smiled and added, "I really like you."_

_Hinata suddenly asked, "Really?" Suddenly, she blushed again and fidgeted on her seat._

"_I'm not lying." Naruto reached for her hand. "I'm not sure if you still feel the same all these years. When I realized that I liked you, I wondered if I was too late to tell you."_

_Hinata shook her head. "No. It's not too late." Then, she added, "In fact, you're just right on-time." She smiled at him._

_Naruto inched nearer to Hinata's face. Hinata inched closer to Naruto's face. They closed their eyes slowly. Then, their lips finally met. It didn't last long but it was sentimental for both of them._

"_Naruto…" She said, "Thank you for loving me…"_

"Thank you for loving me.." Naruto head was on Hinata's lap. "That's what you said right?"

Hinata brushed his hair away from his face and nodded. "I'm still thankful for that…"

Naruto sat up and held her cheek. "Only four more days…" He kissed her lightly on her lips.

"We can be together forever." Hinata sighed. "I wish that time would go faster." She rested her head on his shoulder.

Then, Naruto suddenly remembered that he had to give her something. "Hinata…" He held her hand. "I want to give you something before the big day…"

Hinata looked at him with curiosity. "What is it?"

He put one of his hands in the pocket of his pants and took out a small box. He opened it and showed her a silver ring with two sapphires and a diamond in the middle.

She gasped. "You didn't have to… It's too much… The wedding rings are already…"

"Shh…" He placed his index finger over her lips. He held her hand and slipped the ring. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, give you, Hyuuga Hinata, a promise ring as a symbol of my eternal love. I swear to it and to my heart that I shall love you till the day I die. I swear that I won't make you cry and I swear that I'll always be there for you, for better or for worse. And… and…" Naruto muttered, "Damn. I thought I memorized it already…"

_One night, Naruto was sitting on his desk with a pile of crumpled papers on the sides and the floor. "Damn…" He looked at the fifty-seventh speech he wrote. "It's still not good." He furiously crumpled the paper and threw it somewhere._

_A few more drafts and finally, he got a great speech. He read it out loud. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, give you, Hyuuga Hinata, a promise ring as a symbol of my eternal love. I swear to it and to my heart that I shall love you till the day I die. I swear that I won't make you cry. I swear that I'll always be there for you, for better or for worse. And this is my promise of eternal love for you."_

Hinata laughed. "You memorized that speech?"

"I wrote it but I memorized it so that I won't forget…" Naruto frowned. "I should've written it on my hand or something."

Hinata laughed and looked at the ring. Then, she kissed Naruto. It was just a simple kiss that turned into a passionate one. Hinata wrapped her arms around his next. Her hands ran down his hair. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist. Out of the blue, Naruto made Hinata lie down on the floor. They stopped kissing for a moment.

Hinata whispered, "Naruto…"

Naruto said sincerely, "I'm not asking you to do this…. We can wait if you want to…."

"No one's at home…" Hinata whispered again, "We can do this if you want to…"

"I…" Naruto shook his head and smiled. "If you say so…" He kissed her again.

Hinata held him close to her as he unraveled her clothes. She was wearing one of those white kimonos used when you take a bath or when you're only inside the house. When her kimono was open, it was her turn to remove his clothes. She rolled over and now, she was over him. Her kimono was dropping and her upper torso could be seen. She kissed his forehead after she removed his head gear.

Naruto gazed at her porcelain-like body. It seemed like it was made to be perfect. Her chest was in front of him since she kissed his forehead. He snuggled in her soft body as she held him. He was also removing his pants at that time.

Hinata moved away and removed Naruto's jacket. He was wearing a metal net over his black shirt. He also removed his pants and saw that he wore boxers with frog prints. She giggled upon seeing such clothing.

"Hey…" Naruto said, "I love this boxer."

Hinata sat up and asked him, "Could you sit up? It's difficult to remove…" She was totally bare. He sat up too and eyed at her body again as she remove his clothes. Now, all he had left on was his boxers. Hinata still had her underpants on.

Hinata started to feel a little anxious and conscious. 'He could see me bare now. There's no turning back…' She stared into his eyes and she could see that there was hesitation in his eyes. "Naruto, do you really want to do this? If you don't want to…"

Naruto held her cheek and said, "I want to because I love you so much…" He kissed her and laid her down again. The lights grew dim and they made love that night.

No one knew what they did. They laid down beside each other after all that action. Hinata was exhausted and immediately fell asleep in his arms. Naruto kissed her forehead one more time and slept beside her.



**Author's Notes:**

I feel so sad. Why? Only one reader reviewed Chapter 3! _sniffs and cries_ I love you so much, **invaderpixie**

I was expecting to get at least five reviews but I was wrong. If you don't like my story so far, please tell me. I need to know what you think. Please?

Oh yeah, since this fic is T rated, I didn't continue to write the details of their night. However, I wrote it. Bwahahaha. Yes, I did! _Maniacal laugher_ Why I wrote it? No reason. In case you want to read it, it's a separate fic with an M rating for the sexual descriptions. Bwahahaha. _More maniacal laugher_ It's also called 'A Promise of Eternal Love' and it is short. About three-four pages in MS Word.

In case you are wondering, why is this chapter Part 1? Of course, I had to detail their wedding in an epilogue or something. Hehee.

Oh, yeah, I also made an outline on the order of events so you won't be confused.

Order of Events (So far…):

(C1) Neji and Sakura got together

(C1) Neji and Sakura, and Naruto and Hinata are planning their wedding.

(C1) Sasuke is coming back

(C1) Sasuke is back and Sakura got together with him since Neji let her go.

That same day:

(C1+C2) Two days after he got to Konoha, Sasuke went away for a while.

(C2) Sasuke broke up with Sakura momentarily.

(C2 +C3) Neji went away with Kiba and Shino.

(C4) Naruto and Hinata's last minute preparations

_**Preview for Chapter 5: Forever's Not Enough**_

"_I'll make it through. I promise. Even if I change, I would still be Sakura."_

"_If anything happens to you, I'll…"_

"_Don't worry about me. I love you. I'm sure that you'll be there by my side once this is over."_

"_You still have time to back out…"_

"_I'm not backing out for something I want to do. I want to be with you forever."_

_**Standard Disclaimer Apply**_


	5. Forever's Not Enough

Forever's Not Enough



They had lain on the riverbank the whole night. They were in each others arms. Everything was already perfect but something bothered him. He, Uchiha Sasuke, was ready to marry and propose to her. It might be too sudden but wasn't their love enough proof that they were ready for that step? Also, she had to do those rituals. If not, they risked on having children with only one eye that had the Sharingan.

Sasuke couldn't bear the pressure so he stood up and said, "Sakura, let's go for a walk." Sakura nodded and stood up. Sakura and Sasuke were walking together hand-in-hand. They walked around the forest, as if nothing mattered. They didn't care if the some ninja would attack them. All they knew was that they were together.

When they crossed the bridge, Sasuke said, "Sakura…"

"Hmmm?" Sakura asked him. She stood in front of him and smiled at him.

He knelt down and held her hand. "I want you to marry me and help me rebuilt the clan."

Sakura was shocked, of course. "I… don't… know what to say… It's too sudden…. We just got together and I…"

Sasuke frowned a little and stood up. "If you're not ready, I can wait. We just got together. You just broke up your engagement with Neji… I can wait…"

"I know," Sakura added, "But I'm not turning down your offer…"

Sasuke grinned and jumped. "Yes!" He slipped his arm behind her legs and carried her the way a husband carried his wife. They ran around in Konoha. It wasn't awkward since no one was out during that time of night. They entered Sakura's house and Sasuke let her walk on her legs.

"That was fun," Sakura remarked. "Let's do that some other time. I'm…" She yawned. "…kinda sleepy."

Sasuke hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Good night, my cherry blossom." He turned around and started to walk away.

Sakura instantly hugged him. "Don't leave me."

"I'm just going home," Sasuke answered.

"Stay here with me."

Sasuke smiled and said, "I'll sleep on the couch tonight. You sleep in the bed, okay?"



(A/N: This part is five days later, okay?)

Neji, Kiba, and Shino reached the Wave Country by ten in the morning. The town was bustling with people because of the upcoming festival. They decided to separate ways to ask about Master Makoto Tsubasa.

"We'll meet at the Wings Hotel," Shino added, "It's the white hotel that Master Tsunade reserved for us before when she gave us the mission." Then, they separated ways.

By nightfall, they met in front of a white establishment. The Wings Hotel was about five stories high and it didn't look big on the outside. When they entered the lobby, it gave a somber ambience to the place. Most of the things were colored white and soft pink. The lights were white though.

The receptionist was a tall woman with a pale complexion. She had pink hair and emerald eyes which reminded Neji of Sakura. When the three Konoha ninjas approached her, she gave them the nicest smile and said, "Welcome to Wings Hotel. How may I help you?"

Neji answered, "Well, Master Tsunade reserved a room here. That room is meant for my comrades and me."

"Master Tsunade of Konoha…." She scanned the lists and smiled. "Room 110 is yours. It's on the second floor." She handed him the key. "If you have any problems, please don't be shy to ask."

Kiba answered, "Since you mention it, we're looking for Master Makoto Tsubasa. Is she famous here?"

"Master Makoto?" The receptionist repeated, "Master Makoto Tsubasa, is it?" The three ninjas nodded. "You're in luck. Did you know that she owns this place?"

"Can we possibly meet her?" Shino enthusiastically asked. If they would be able to do so, their mission was finished and they could go back to Konoha.

"Of course you can. My sister sent for you, right?" A tall woman wearing a pink kimono approached them. She had the same light brown hair and hazel eyes. She looked a little younger and sexier than Master Tsunade.

The three ninjas were astonished. Why? Because their mission was the easiest mission they had done. It seemed like it was all planned that they'd finish at that time.

Master Makoto said, "Come to my office, quick." She turned around and walked. The three ninjas followed her. They entered a room filled with white and pink stuff. It was so obvious that this woman was the total opposite of her sister. This woman was feminine. Master Tsunade was… well, sometimes brutal.

She asked, "What does my darling sister want?" The tone of her voice changed. It seemed like she hated mentioning Master Tsunade.

Shino answered, "Master Tsunade asked us to find you. We're going to bring you back to Konoha."

Master Makoto smirked. "I guess she needed my expertise. After all, Mother gave me her talents in making potions and antidotes. She got our father's talents as a ninja. She's also the Fifth Hokage." She looked at the three ninjas in front of her. "What does she specifically need? She must've told you something."

Neji hesitated but he still continued, "We need something you can make to reverse the Rituals of Transformation." Shino and Kiba just let Neji speak his mind in front of the Hokage's sister.

Master Makoto's brows knitted. "Are you the one who needs it?" She knew that the Hyuuga blood line is strong so every descendant had the Byakugan eyes.

Neji shook his head and answered, "No. Master Tsunade wanted to make sure that just in case it didn't turn out well, we'll always have the antidote."

"Most families have those already. Which advance bloodline are we talking about?" Master Makoto thought of a family that might need the antidote. Her mother made all sorts of antidotes for the Rituals of Transformations.

"The Sharingan," Neji answered.

Master Makoto smiled. "I see. Then, I must go with you immediately. Tomorrow, we shall leave for Konoha." She stood up and said, "You have to tell me everything about this issue, Hyuuga."

Neji nodded and left the room with the others. They entered their hotel room and decided to rest for the night with complete silence.



(A/N: 5 days later, same time line as the story stated above.)

For the last five days, Sasuke had been staying inside Sakura's house. She didn't want him to leave her anymore. They knew it wasn't right for them to live together. Still, they stayed under the same roof for five whole days.

Sasuke wanted to tell her about the Rituals of Transformation. He wanted to know if she'll do it for him. He knew she loved him but to what extent? He studied the instructions the past few days and he knew that she might not make it.

Sakura thought about Sasuke's proposal five days ago. She wanted to say yes but something's stopping her. She knew that she loved him all her heart and soul. She knew that she longed for him to be with her forever and ever; however, she felt uncertainty.



The clock struck midnight. Neji tossed and turned in his bed. Shino and Kiba were sleeping soundly on their beds. Akamaru was on the floor, sleeping as well.

Neji couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and wore a bathrobe. He decided to look around. He took one of the keys and walked out of the room.

He went to the lobby and asked the receptionist. "Is there some sort of garden around here?"

A woman in her late thirties answered him, "Yes, there is. Just go left and turn right. Keep going straight until you see a doorway. That's the entrance to the gardens."

"Thank you very much." Neji walked on the left corridor. The corridors were painted pink and white. It was a short corridor since he immediately saw the right corner after walking for five minutes. He turned right and saw the doorway. It took him about fifteen minutes to get there. He opened the door and saw the garden.

The garden was like the Hyuuga Main House's garden – full of plants and had man-made pools and creeks. He saw a small Chinese shed, a Chinese bridge over a creek. The moon was above with the stars. It was very ethereal.

Neji walked toward the bridge and looked at the crystal-clear water. He saw some gold fish swam. It reminded him of another memory of Sakura and him.

_It was almost midnight. Two figures walked hand-in-hand over Konoha's famous bridge. One of the figures was a man with long brown hair tied in a ponytail. He had a pale complexion and the famous pale white eyes – the Byakugan. The other figure was a woman with long pink hair and a noticeably large forehead. Her skin was a little darker than the man and her emerald-like orbs glistened as the moonlight shone._

_On the bridge, the woman stopped walking and let the man's hand go. He stopped on his tracks and looked back. She was looking at the sky. He approached her and wrapped his arm around her waist._

_Neji asked his pink-haired girlfriend, "What are you looking at?"_

_Sakura answered, "I saw a shooting star pass by. I made my wish."_

_Neji smiled. "I hope your wish comes true. My wish already came true and I couldn't wish for more." He kissed her forehead._

_Sakura placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad that you're here. I would not have gone this far without you."_

_  
_Neji's thoughts were cut short when someone said, "You're thinking of your girl back at Konoha, huh?"

Neji turned around and saw Master Makoto. "Oh," he looked back at the water. "She's not my girl anymore."

"Eh?" Master Makoto responded and raised an eyebrow. Master Makoto was wearing a black bathrobe with silver linings. There was a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of sake in the other. She was, after all, Master Tsunade's sister.

"I loved her but when he came back, she left. I was supposed to marry her…" Neji sighed. "If I could only…"

"Well," Master Makoto puffed her cigarette, making a cloud of smoke circle around the bridge. "Tell me about her. She must be some girl, dumping a Hyuuga. Even if you're not the heir, you're still a Hyuuga and that gives you a ton of respect and class. Who is she anyway? Is she Yamanaka's daughter? I heard she's pretty snobby."

"No," Neji answered, "It's Sakura, Haruno Sakura."

"Oh," Master Makoto added, "Is she that girl who was trained by Hatake Kakashi and my sister?"

Neji nodded. "She's the one who's going to perform the Rituals of Transformation. I just want her to be safe, just in case something goes wrong."

"Why would you think something might go wrong?" Master Makoto asked, "Don't you think that they love each other?"

"They do love each other but," Neji paused for a moment, "It's just that a few days together won't cure all those years of being separated…"

"I see your point." Master Makoto said, "Love is so complicated. Those rituals require pure love, if I may add. But even if he said he'll love her forever," She sighed and continued, "Forever isn't enough to prove your love." She asked him, "Would he do anything just to make her happy even if it hurts him? I mean, this Uchiha and Sakura are willing to sacrifice a lot of things just to make this ritual is a success."

Neji just nodded and looked at the water. Then, he said, "Yeah. He'll do anything to make her happy…"

Master Makoto looked at him. She didn't know how Neji gave up for Sakura to be with Sasuke but she could see the sadness in his eyes. "You really do love her, don't you?"

Neji looked at her hazel eyes and answered sincerely, "Yes. I love her with all my heart. I'm willing to do anything just for her." Neji calmed down a little after seeing a smile from Master Makoto.

"I see." Master Makoto started to walk away. Neji looked at her. Then, she stopped and said, "Look, I'll help you because you love this girl. I'm not doing this for Tsunade, got that?"



Back at Konoha, Sasuke sat on the couch, reading a scroll he got from his old house. It was the scroll for the last step of the Rituals of Transformation.

Sakura was humming to herself as she made chicken yakitori. She was frying it in the pan and her humming was in perfect harmony with the sizzling of the yakitori. She left the pan for a moment and took out a pink and a blue bowl, and two pairs of chopsticks from the cupboard.

She placed some rice on the two bowls. Then, she looked at the yakitori. It was cooked already so she turned off the flames and placed the hot yakitori on the bowls. She chimed, "Dinner's ready."

Sasuke put down the scroll and smiled at his cherry blossom. Sakura placed the blue bowl in front of him and that was the time she saw the scroll. She pointed, "What's that scroll about, Sasuke?"

Sasuke held the scroll tight but he said, "Nothing, Sakura." He rolled the scroll and placed it on the floor.

Sakura frowned. "You're being secretive again, Sasuke. You promised me we won't be secretive anymore, that we'd share the sweet and sour sides of life." Sakura sat down and silently poked her food.

Sasuke looked at her sad face. "Okay, I'll tell you after dinner."

Sakura looked at him and smiled. She held his right hand. "Trust me, okay?" Sasuke nodded and they continued to eat with complete silence.

A few minutes later, they finished eating and Sakura cleaned the plates. They decided to walk on the outskirts of the village. Once they reached the red bridge, both were nostalgic about the place. It was full of fond memories during the old times.

"Sasuke," Sakura asked him, "what's the scroll about? You told me that you'll tell me after dinner…"

Sasuke looked at her emerald eyes. "You see, my family had the Sharingan through the ages. They were able to preserve it in our blood by marrying someone with Sharingan eyes too or turning someone into an Uchiha by a ritual." He paused for a moment and took both of her hands. "In order for us to have children without eye abnormalities like Sir Kakashi, you have to undergo my family's Rituals of Transformation. It's pretty hard, and I might lose you. I don't want to lose you, Sakura. If you changed, I might…."

Sakura put one of her fingers over his lips and looked into his onyx eyes. "I'll make it through. I promise. Even if I change, I would still be Sakura."

Sasuke argued, "If anything happens to you, I'll…"

Sakura hugged him and whispered, "Don't worry about me. I love you. I'm sure that you'll be there by my side once this is over."

Sasuke hugged her back and whispered, "You still have time to back out…"

Sakura inched away and said sincerely, "I'm not backing out for something I want to do. I want to be with you forever."

Sasuke smiled and made her go nearer his body. He inched forward and kissed her lips. Sakura kissed her back and wrapped her arms around her. It was a perfect setting for a happy ending. It was a perfect moment that should last forever. The moon was bright with the stars. The cold wind passed by and the only witnesses to this marvel of love was nature and two people watching them. One was sitting on the branch of the tree. The other was standing on the branch.

"Young love…" Sir Kakashi sighed. "I just hope that was enough for the rituals."

"It might be." Master Tsunade added, "Let's just hope those kids got Makoto. We'll need her to be the back-up, just in case something goes wrong."

Both of them grew silent and nodded. They immediately left their location and went back inside the walls of Konoha.



_**Author's Notes:**_

I'm sorry this took a long-long time. I need inspiration and found it. Hahahaha. I would want to thank the two reviewers, **invaderpixie** and **Aznkizz**, for reviewing Chapter 4. I hope that I'll get something like 5 for this chapter but if not, it's okay as well. I can't force people to read my work.

Now, maybe, just maybe, this story is almost over. I guess about two-three more chapters and the epilogue. :sniff: Hehehe.

**_Preview for Chapter 6: Too Late to Change_**

"_Sakura…"_

"_We're too late!"_

"_Sakura, why?"_

That's about it. Please review.

_**Standard Disclaimer Apply.**_


	6. Too Late to Change

Too Late to Change



Some things would take forever to explain. Some things would be hard to understand. In some instances, love could be like that – hard to explain and understand.

As for Sasuke's case, his love for Sakura was unexplainable. He loved her a lot. He wanted to make her safe from his life's adversaries. That was the reason why he stayed away from her for such a long time.

Sakura's love was pure and immeasurable. She loved him more then anything in the world. She wanted to be with him even if he had hurt her. But was that love enough for the Rituals of Transformation?

The Rituals of Transformation was an old ritual done so that the advance bloodline could remain. This process had been used in clans like the Hyuuga clan and the Uchiha clan.

There were three stages of this process. The first stage was called Physical Transformation. This stage consisted of a potion called Mangekyo. It was made from the Mangekyo bug juice and spring water. After drinking the potion, the person should do the hand seals of Nezumi (rat) – Inu (dog) – Usagi (hare) – O-ushi (ox). After the hand seals, stage one would be complete.

Stage two was called Blood Transformation. This stage requires the blood of the advance bloodline carrier. The ritual performer must drink the blood of his or her fiancé and perform the Ryu (dragon) – Hebi (serpent) – Tori (bird) – Ousu-buta (boar) hand seals. If this process was done, stage two would be complete.

Stage three, however, consisted of the scroll called Soul Transformation. This stage was also known as the most complicated one of all. This stage required the love and trust the two people had for each other. If any of those two things were missing or somehow not enough, the Soul Transformation would be useless and things could go wrong. This transformation was somehow alike to the summoning technique of the legendary sannin. The performer had to use her blood and draw a line on the middle of the scroll horizontally. Then, she had to perform all the hand seals in this order – Saru (monkey) - Uma (horse) - O-hitsuji (ram) - Tora (tiger).

If these stages were completed, the performer changes her bloodline and yes, he or she could live happily ever after. Would Sakura and Sasuke live happily ever after? (Do continue to read on to find out.)



Sasuke and Sakura walked together that night. As they walked, Sasuke explained the complications of the Rituals of Transformation. Sasuke saw her curiosity fade into a frown.

When he was done explaining, silence was in the air. A million things ran through Sasuke's head. Then, he couldn't take the silence and suddenly grabbed Sakura into a hug. "I don't mind if you don't do it. I don't care if our child will look like Sir Kakashi. As long as you're with me, I'm happy."

Sakura was surprised but she smiled at him and said, "I'll do it for you, for us, and for our future children." She added, "We've already gone this far. Let's do this ritual so we can have our happy ending." She kissed his cheek. "But for now, let's go home and rest." She took his hand and they walked back.

_She'll really do it for me. _Sasuke smiled to himself as he imagined little versions of him and Sakura inside the house, playing with their Sharinggan eyes.



_Sasuke's POV_

Two days later, I decided to prepare the ritual room in my old home. I wanted to do it alone so I slipped out of my room in Sakura's house silently during the morning. But when I opened the door, Sakura was standing behind me.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" She asked me. "It's such an early hour…" Her voice trailed off.

I turned around and saw her sad expression. I smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "I'm just going to my old home. I need to fix a few things there. I'll be back later."

"It's for the rituals right?" Sakura looked at me. "Please let me help."

I stared at her and I noticed that she was wearing some skimpy night gown that was three inches above her knees and her cleavage was visible. I removed my dirty little thoughts and thought of her question. I answered, "Sure. I needed someone to prepare the Mangekyo potion."

She smiled and hugged me. I could feel her breasts press into my chest. I started to remove perverted thoughts on my head and just hugged her.

_End Sasuke's POV_

By the time they finished eating breakfast, they headed to Sasuke's old house. It had become a dark, sinister place. Before it was a home for Sasuke, but now, it was a place where he had his dark memories.

Sasuke and Sakura stood right in front of the house. Sakura was in awe. "I was never able to visit your house before, Sasuke."

Sasuke responded, "It's because of the difficult situations at home. My father never wanted me to bring anyone here…" His face showed his sadness of his childhood.

Sakura placed her hand on his shoulder. "The past is the past. There's nothing you can do to change it."

Sasuke smiled at her. "Let's go inside now."

The whole inside of the house was dark. Sasuke turned the lights on and saw that the place was totally covered with dust and cobwebs. There were still dried blood stains on the floor, on the walls, and on the furniture.

The room they entered was the living room. Sasuke led Sakura into his father's old study. There, he fiddled with some books and a hidden pathway revealed itself. Sasuke brought an oil lamp with him and turned it on. It was their only source of light.

Sakura held onto Sasuke's shoulder as they wandered. The path ended in front of a door. Sasuke opened it. Inside, there was an old-fashioned laboratory. It was similar to Orochimaru's laboratories; however, this one is specifically for the Rituals.

There were cabinets filled with vials. Sasuke pointed, "Do you know how to check if there's poison or toxic substances in liquids?"

"The Godaime taught me how." Sakura walked toward the nearby cabinet and inspected the fluids. Sasuke made the room brighter by turning on the lights. "This is the Mangekyo juice. Your family must've preserved it here. All I have to do is mix it with spring water and it's good for the first stage."

"That's good to know. Is it safe?"

Sakura nodded and said, "I'll prepare the Mangekyo now." She was prepared for this. The Godaime, Master Tsunade, had taught her everything she knew about making potions and antidotes, detecting poisons, and healing so it was an easy job for Sakura.

She looked for water but sadly, she found that there was no pluming in the room. She decided to explore the whole room. Luckily, she found a pedestal filled with water. "I guess this is the spring water." She went back to the table where she was preparing the potion. She grabbed an empty vial and filled it with water. After a while, she was finished with the Mangekyo bug juice.

While she was making the potion, Sasuke cleaned the room where Sakura would have to perform the last stage. The room was circular. Nothing was inside. There was a circle drawn on the floor. It looked like the Sharinggan eye.

After their activities, they decided to go home. Much to their dismay, it was already sunset. The path out of the house was too dangerous to walk through. Even though they were top notch ninjas, they chose to stay inside the house for a while.

Sasuke showed Sakura his old room. When they entered, they saw cobwebs on the sides of the ceiling. His old things were covered with dust. Sasuke sighed at the sight of his old room. Too many memories of his family came back to him.

Sakura saw the frown from his face. She held his hand tighter which made him look at her. "Why don't we do the Rituals tonight? I'm sure we could manage. I already finished the Mangekyo. We can finally be together now."

Sasuke asked her, "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded. "I'm sure."

They went back to the ritual room. Sakura wore a blue yukata with the Uchiha symbol on the back. She entered the room Sasuke cleaned that day. She had the vial of Mangekyo ready in her hand. "I'm ready now."

Sasuke walked towards her and kissed her lips. "Please, stay safe and be careful..." He took out his konai and cut his skin. Red blood oozed down his porcelain like skin. He took a vial out of his pocket and scooped some of his blood. The vial was full after a few more seconds. "This is for the second stage." He handed her the scroll. "This is for the final stage." He gave the vial and the scroll to her. Then, he turned back and closed the door. Behind the door, Sasuke whispered to himself, "Sakura…"

Sakura sighed and placed the vial of blood and the scroll inside the yukata. She took a deep breath. _It's now or never. _She drank the vial. _It tastes horrible! _Then, she performed the hand seals as she said, "Nezumi – Inu – Usagi – O-ushi!"

Red smoke came out as Sakura felt her body burn. She screamed in pain as her pastel pink hair changed into dark blue and her emerald eyes changed into black ones.

Outside, Sasuke flinched as he heard her screams. He wanted to barge inside and save her but he knew he couldn't do that. He just covered his ears, pretending not to hear her screams.

The Physical Transformation was complete. Sakura fell on her knees as she regained all of the chakra she used. She looked at her hair which covered her eyes. She gasped to see it dark blue. But she didn't regret it because she knew that this was a part of the Rituals.

She stood up once again. She needed to do the next stage, the Blood Transformation. She took the other vial and drank his blood. It didn't taste as awful as the Mangekyo. Then, she did the hand seals. "Ryu – Hebi – Tori – Ousu-buta!" Red smoke once again came out and Sakura could feel her blood boiling. She screamed louder as the pain got worse.

Sasuke was still outside, waiting. "Please, be okay, Sakura."

When the pain stopped, sweat was all over her face. She panted as she once again, regained her strength to do the last stage. She took out the last scroll and started the last stage by cutting a small part of her hand and let the blood drip from it. She opened the scroll. Then, she did the hand seals and placed her palm over the opened scroll. Bright light flashed from the floor and the light engulfed Sakura.



The trip from Wave country to Konoha took two silent days. Master Makoto didn't talk during the whole trip. The boys were preoccupied with other things.

It was nighttime when they reached Konoha's gate. There were two figures in front of the gate. One was a woman with brown hair and the other one has silver colored hair.

"It's about time you guys got back." Master Tsunade said. Then, her attention focused on the woman. "Welcome back, Makoto."

Master Makoto bowed. "Godaime, thank you for welcoming us."

Suddenly, bright light flashed from the direction of the old Uchiha house. Kakashi looked at the light. "They did the rituals without our supervision. This is bad." Kakashi said, "I'd go ahead and see if she made it." Kakashi ran off.

Neji didn't know what to say. He knew that Kakashi was pertaining to Sakura. He just hoped that he was okay.



Sakura screamed louder as the writing ran through her skin and into her face. (It was somehow like when Orochimaru's mark covered Sasuke's face. She looked like that.) The pain was all over her body but most of the pain was in her eyes. Tears ran down her cheek as the pain grew. She tried opening it and if you were there, you could see her eyes changing from black to blood red – like the Sharinggan.

Sasuke was outside, enduring emotional pain. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't bear to hear her scream in pain. He looked at the door and he was surprised. Bright light came from inside. It was blinding him but he managed to open the doors and saw her lifeless body on the floor.

Smoke came from her body and the light disappeared as he entered the room. Scrapes on her body were visible. Sasuke approached her body and looked at her face. Her hair was different. When he saw her open eyes, he gasped. It was half Sharinggan and half black. It was beginning to become a full Sharinggan. "Sakura…" he whispered.

Kakashi stood in front of the door, shocked. A few seconds later, the others came as well.

"We're too late!" Master Makoto said, "You shouldn't have opened the door while the Sharinggan is stating to form.

"Sakura, why?" Neji whispered. He didn't say anything more. The others merely looked.

Sasuke stood up and carried her body. Tears came from his eyes. He approached Master Tsunade. "Please, change her back. Please…"

Master Tsunade said, "It's too late to change her back to the way she was."



_**Author's Notes:**_

OMG! It's been like months and this is all I can come up with. I had such a busy schedule so I'm really sorry for the late update. Please don't hate me for updating just now…. A ton of things came up like schoolwork, the whole "I-want-to-be-valedictorian" drama, the whole "I-have-officer-duties-now" drama… Being a senior with a lot of responsibilities is so hard! . 

But honestly, I finished this chapter last June 18. I didn't have time to upload it.

Also, I have Chapter 7 now. It's finished but I just wanna hear what you have to say before I upload the saddest chapter yet.

**Standard Disclaimer Apply**


	7. Last Flicker of Light

**Last Flicker of Light**

They immediately brought Sakura to the hospital. Master Tsunade and Master Makoto did their best to make Sakura's body and mind calm down.

Neji and Sasuke waited outside. Shino and Kiba went back to their respective homes because they were too tired already. Neji wanted to beat Sasuke to pieces but he knew that it wasn't going to do any good for Sakura so he faithfully waited beside him.

Master Makoto came out of the room and said, "She's calm and you may come inside to see her." Sasuke and Neji followed her inside.

The room was dark and only a candle served as the light. Sakura was sleeping. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing normally. Sasuke caressed her face and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay now."

"That's not true, Uchiha." Master Tsunade said, "She is not okay." Sasuke looked at her. Master Tsunade continued, "You stopped the completion of the Rituals of Transformation. You're lucky that she's not dead. She could've died!"

Master Makoto said, "She can never be alright in that state. Her eyes will never be able to be a full Sharinggan thanks to your interference. And so doing, she will never be able to open her eyes anymore." She paused and continued, "The only way to cure her is to reverse the rituals and make her forget everything about you and the Rituals."

Master Tsunade continued, "We knew this could happen so I asked Neji and the others to look for the ingredients to reverse the Rituals of Transformation. Once she's back to the way she was, she can undergo serious trauma because of the pain she experienced in that ritual. You don't know what one sees during those rituals. Do you want her to be afraid of you?"

Sasuke shook her head. "I wouldn't want that to happen."

Neji looked at Sakura. "I got the ingredients so change her back." Neji wanted her to be okay. He felt so sad that she was in that state.

"We can do that." Master Makoto said, "Of course, it's for Uchiha to decide."

Sasuke answered, "Of course I want her back to the way she was. But…." He looked at her, "I don't want to see her in pain. I don't want to hear her screams…"

Master Makoto answered, "Well, we can always make her drink this potion that causes the drinker to forget her latest and most painful experience." She even added, "I made it myself. There are no side effects. Trust me."

"However," Master Tsunade said, "This would that it is also possible that she'll forget that you came back. When you came back, I believe you brought more pain and sadness to her rather than happiness."

Inside, Neji pitied Sasuke. He was relieved that he, the Byakugan user, didn't have to make such decisions. If he was on Sasuke's place, he'd say he wanted Sakura to forget. But Neji didn't know if Sasuke wanted to part once again with the cherry blossom.

Sasuke sighed and said, "Well, if that is so, so be it."

Neji looked at him. _What? He decided to let her go?_

Master Tsunade patted him at the back. "Good decision. We can start right away."

"Now, now, Tsunade," Master Makoto said, "We can't do it right away. Why don't we go and prepare for it? After all, I don't have my potion yet." She gripped her sister's shoulder and started dragging her out of the room. "Neji," She called, "Come with us. We need your help."

Neji nodded and started to go. In fact, he knew what was really going on. Master Makoto wanted Sasuke to talk to Sakura one last time.

-----Outside the room….

"What was that for, Makoto?" Master Tsunade asked her sister with great annoyance. "The potion is ready and the preparation only takes seconds so why do we have to leave the room?"

Master Makoto sighed. "YOU are not the one who's going to lose someone you care for in the whole wide world." She added, "After all, I saw her flinch."

Neji heard Master Makoto and his suspicion was right. She did want both of them to talk in private.

------Inside the room….

Sasuke watched the door close. The light illuminated on her porcelain face. He memorized her peaceful face, her beautiful cotton candy pink hair, her beautiful lips, and her exquisite nose. But he regretted never being able to see her jade orbs once again.

Sasuke touched her soft face. "Sakura… I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, he heard her say weakly, "You don't have to be sorry… I wanted this, remember?" She tried to open her eyes but there was no avail. She couldn't open them because of the pain. Instead, she reached for his hand. "Sasuke…"

"Sakura…" He immediately held her hand. "I'm really sorry." A tear slid from his face.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said, "Don't make me forget you… Please… I don't want to lose you again." Once again, she tried to open her eyes. Her eyes were halfway open but all she could see were blurred images.

Sasuke stared at her eyes. They were blood red instead of jade green. _I caused her this pain... _"I can't do that, Sakura." Sasuke paused when he saw a red-colored tear drop from his cherry blossom's eyes. "All I did was make you cry. Please, you must forget doing the ritual and maybe, forget seeing me once again."

"No…" Sakura reasoned, "You brought back happiness to me. Our love has gone through thick and thin…" She held this hand near her heart. "See? I'm alive, right? We can survive through this if we work together…" She could feel that Sasuke had already made up his mind. A red tear slid down her face. She faintly whispered, "Don't leave me again, Sasuke."

"I have to." Sasuke whispered, "It's for your own sake." He took his hand from her hand. More red tears slid down her face. Sasuke wiped them away then he realized that it wasn't tears he wiped; however, it was blood. Blood was coming down of her blood red eyes now. He finally felt that he's making the right decision.

He was about to go when she said, "Wait." He turned back and looked at her. "Kiss me and say 'I love you' one last time."

Sasuke walked toward her. He titled her head with care. Their lips met and the kiss was bitter. After a few seconds, their lips parted. He softly whispered in her ear, "I love you, my cherry blossom." Another tear slid down his face.

He stood straight and walked away. He didn't bother to look back at her.

She wanted to run towards him – to hug him again, to stop him. But she was immobile. All she could do was cry – shed blood instead of tears. Suddenly, the whole room went black for the last flicker of light had died.

-----

Author's Notes: I know it's too short. But like I said, this is the saddest chapter.

I'm sad too. Only one person reviewed for Chapter 7. Thank you Gaararocksyay.

I hope you loved this chapter.

I already have the plans for the following chapters.

Chapter 8 will be about the reversal. Working on it

Chapter 9 will be about Naruto and Hinata's wedding day. I had the perfect storyline for this one in my head.

Chapter 10/Epilogue will be the dramatic ending. I am certain of one thing about this chapter. It shall be called: "Close to the End"

Please Review and please don't forget to add this into your Story Alert list so that you'd know when I updated.


	8. When the Last Tear Drop Fell

**Chapter 8 – When the Last Tear Drop Fell**

Every person didn't want sadness. Every person had the right to be happy. But once you experienced sadness all of your life, would there still be hope for happiness in your heart?

As he closed the door of her room, tears didn't stop streaming from his eyes. It was rare to see this man cry. He bowed his head and tried to stop the tears. Suddenly, the tears stopped but the sadness he felt could never be appeased.

Master Tsunade watched him, watched the Uchiha Sasuke despair. She watched him slowly lose everything that he kept safe for so long. She spoke, "Are you done?"

"Yes." He answered, "Better do the ritual before anything worse happens." He started to walk away.

She leaned on the wall and asked him, "Where do you plan to go now?"

He abruptly stopped at his tracks. "I don't know. Maybe I would become some sort of nomad, trying to find a place to finally fit in."

"You can always stay – "

"Here?" Sasuke interrupted her. "I can never stay here. All those memories will just make my suffering worse."

"No." Master Tsunade walked toward him. "I was wondering if you'd want to stay with Makoto. Makoto's nomadic. She'll be needing help moving in and out of places, an acquaintance of some sort, once she grows old."

Sasuke shrugged. "Let me think about it." He was about to walk away when Master Tsunade stopped him by holding his wrist. "Aren't you going to give it one more try?"

"And hurt her again?" Sasuke looked at her. "No." He immediately removed his wrist from her grasp and walked away.

"So you're just going to give her up?"

Sasuke looked back and saw Neji. "What do you want me to do about it, Hyuuga?"

"Give it one more try."

He got frustrated and grabbed Neji by his clothes' collar. "And what then? Hurt her like this again? I don't want to see her cry again…" His grasp got weaker. "I just can't…"

Neji watched as Sasuke let him go. "You're one weak bastard, you know."

Sasuke looked at him with angry eyes. "Then what would you do if you're in this situation, huh? Didn't you hear them? They said she'd be cured but the pain will remain if I stay. Even if I stay and change things, my presence can trigger that memory. I can't bear to see her in pain again…" Neji was silent. He knew Sasuke was right.

Sasuke turned around and started to walk away. But then, he stopped and said, "Hyuuga," Neji looked at him. Sasuke looked back and said, "Take care of her for me…"

Neji nodded. "I promise you that, Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked and walked away. He walked away from the place he called home. He walked away from the people he called friends. He walked away from the person he called "his cherry blossom".

---

Master Makoto and Master Tsunade had everything ready for the Reversal of the Rituals of Transformation. It didn't take long since Master Makoto worked fast.

The Mangekyou was crushed and turned into a violet solution after mixing it with the special roots Neji and the others got. The violet solution was placed in a cylindrical vial. The vial had Master Makoto's name on it.

Master Makoto handed it over to Master Tsunade. "My work here is done. I better catch that kid before he kills himself."

"Remember that we made a deal." Master Tsunade smiled at her. "Take good care of him, Makoto."

"I will." Master Makoto walked away from her only family. She walked away to catch the boy who would become her live in partner for a while.

_While Sasuke was inside Sakura's room, Master Tsunade and Master Makoto went inside an empty room in the hospital. They had something to discuss._

"_What do you want in return for this favor, Makoto?" Master Tsunade bluntly asked her only sister._

"_What do you mean, Onee-san?"_

"_You didn't bother calling me that before, Makoto." Master Tsunade asked, "Why bother calling me like that now?"_

_Master Makoto shrugged. "No reason." _

_Master Tsunade sighed and went back to business. "Okay, what do you really want, Makoto?"_

"_Heh!" Master Makoto answered, "Since you asked, I want that Uchiha to be some sort of guinea pig for me."_

"_Why would you think that I'd sacrifice one of my best ninjas here?"_

"_Well," Master Makoto answered, "I am the only one who can get the Mangekyou ready now and…" She smiled slyly. "I am the only one who can cure that little grievance of the boy."_

"_How so?"_

"_Do you think I've been slacking off these past years?" Master Makoto looked at her sister with great disbelief. "Oh really! At least I'm not the gambler in the family."_

_Master Tsunade rolled her eyes and asked, "So what have you been doing these past few years?"_

"_Years ago, before the Uchiha Masacre, I was asked by a certain Uchiha to make a potion that will make the Uchiha genes dominant. I was able to play with that Uchiha's genes but my experiment took me weeks until it developed into months and finally, I realized that my work was taking years to finish. Just a few years ago, I was able to perfect it. The potion was going well. No side effects whatsoever. I wanted someone with an advance blood line limit so that I can see for myself."_

"_But you should've reported to Konoha when you perfected that. And then, maybe those two won't have to part anymore."_

"_Do you think I want to give the potion that easily?" Master Makoto smiled again. "I wanted to test it myself. I want to bear the first new Sharinggan heir."_

_Master Tsunade's eyebrow twitched as she replied, "You're too old for him, Makoto." _

"_I can make myself young again." Master Makoto said that with full confidence._

"_Oh really?_

_Master Makoto insisted. "Yeah. I want him that much!"_

"_Just because he looks like that Uchiha you loved, it doesn't mean you have to ruin other people's lives for it."_

"_Itachi wanted me to do that because he didn't want me to suffer that ritual."_

_  
"I get it now. You wanted Sasuke because you can't have Itachi… You devil."_

"_Is it bad to want your own happiness?"_

"_No, but still, separating them just because of that is called selfishness."_

"_I…" Master Makoto became silent. She knew her sister was right but she wanted to be happy. She sighed and said, "I'll probably die on the process so why even care?" Master Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "If I make myself as young as him, my lifespan is cut. If I bear a child for him, well… I die on the process of childbirth. I'm not a great sannin like you who can make yourself young through chakra. I'm a plain medic nin who can make potions like no other." A tear slid down her cheek. "I just want to be happy before I die."_

_Master Tsunade smiled and sighed as she hugged her sister. "Take care of him for me. Make sure that the Uchiha child you're going to bear doesn't die. That child could be my nephew or niece."_

_She smiled and hugged her sister back. "It's a deal."_

Master Tsunade chuckled and muttered to herself, "Better do this now or never." She looked at Neji. "Come with me. She'll need all the support she can have."

Neji nodded. He took a deep breath and walked beside Master Tsunade. She opened the doors slowly. No light came from the room. Neji used his Byakugan to see where the candle is. But he was shocked to see an empty bed beside the drawer where the candle is. He immediately looked for her body. Instead, trails of blood led him to the window. The window was closed and the curtains blocked any form of light. Under the windowsill, she was there.

Neji immediately ran to pick her up. But as he was about to hold her, he hesitated. His eyes widened as he heard her utter one word. One word could make a difference.

"Sasuke…" She weakly uttered over and over. "Sasuke…" She tried reaching for the windowsill. But she could barely stand up.

Master Tsunade lit the candle and carried it over to brighten the pitiful site. Little drops of blood were found on the floor. These drops formed a trail which she followed with her eyes. And it led her to look at Neji's back and then, at the lump on the floor who was stained with blood – her blood.

Neji got back to his senses and picked up the lump. Her eyes were shedding tears – tears of blood. It left a faint red trail on her face – from her eyes across her cheek to her jaw line. He placed his left hand under her shoulders and the other scooped her legs up. He slowly walked toward the bed. He gently placed her on the bed.

Master Tsunade just observed them. She gently placed the candle back to it's original place as she opened the vial which contained the solution. She remembered what her sister said as she gave instructions on how to make the transformation work.

"_Well, she just had to drink it. It's that simple. I already mixed this with my Forgetting Potion so all you have to do is to make her drink all of this and she forgets her latest heart pain."_

She moved closer to the bed, ready to force the patient to drink the solution. She wanted the whole thing to end. She wanted to rest.

The pink haired patient had blurred visions of what surrounded her. She saw a woman she believed to be her teacher because of her unique physical features. The woman was holding something, a purple object. Her teacher moved closer to her and Sakura realized that the object was a something liquescent. Suddenly, her eyes grew a bit wide.

Neji gasped as she saw her eyes – blood red eyes – grew wide. He was scared. He was nervous. He was worried. It was all because of her.

Sakura shook her head, as if to say no. She uttered, "No… please…"

"We have to do this, Sakura." Master Tsunade added, "It's for your own good."

"No…" Sakura shook her head more. She was starting to become restless. "I don't want to forget Sasuke! I don't want to forget…" Her voice died as Master Tsunade hit her gut. She weakly said, "No… Please don't… " before she lost consciousness.

Neji became more nervous after he witnessed the latest event. "Will she be…?"

"She'll be alright. I know what I'm doing." Master Tsunade slightly opened Sakura's mouth and poured the violet solution into her mouth. The vial was empty after a few seconds.

Suddenly, Sakura's body started to emit red light. Her eyes were wide open and the two people could see it change from blood red to the old jade green. After a few seconds, the red light faded and Sakura's eyes were closed again.

"Let's leave her now." Master Tsunade said, "Our work here is done. Hyuuga, I'm leaving you to take care of her. After all, she's your fiancée once again." She walked away muttering, "I have to send pigeons to everybody who's involved so that they'll get the story straight. I'll send you one too so that you'll know what to tell her when she wakes up." Neji nodded.

The candle flickered as the Hokage closed the door. Neji walked toward the window and parted the curtains from blocking the moonlight to shine through the window. The light immediately flowed through the window and illuminated her face.

Neji sighed and looked back at her. He saw a tear drop – an evident crystal clear tear – slid down her face. This time, only one tear slid down her face. Everything – the pain, the sacrifices, the sadness, and the candor of the events – ended when the last tear drop fell from her.

**Author's Note:**

SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I had problems with my life after I updated the last chapter.

I want to thank all of the people who reviewed the last chapter. This chapter, **When the Last Tear Drop Fell**, is for all of you – even the one who "flamed" me for Chapter 3. I hope that you loved this chapter as much as you loved the past chapters.

I can't promise that I'll update soon but I'll try to do so.

Review, kay? If you just read this story, please don't forget to add the story to you Story Alert list. There are still 2 chapters waiting for you to read.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything here – just the plot and Master Makoto! Good day!

-angelraine-


	9. To Be Loved By You

**Author's Notes:**

Well, this is NOT a chapter about the wedding of Naruto and Hinata. This is a continuation of the last chapter. I don't want to leave a hole in the plot, do I?

Once again, I want to thank all of the people who reviewed Chapter 8. This one is for you guys!

_ Flashback is written in Italics. _Present time is written normal.

_**WaRNiNG: FLUFF ALERT!**_

**Diclaimer: **I do not own anything here! Just the plotline

**Don't forget to R&R**

**To Be Loved By You**

Everyone inside the Hyuuga Mansion was panicking. Everyone was running around. A group carried the flowers the heiress had to choose from. Another group had the ramen samples the groom was suppose to taste before they cook it as a part of the meal at the celebration.

But the Hyuuga heiress and the groom were nowhere to be found. That was the reason everyone was panicking. They were missing the day before their wedding.

Underneath the mansion, there was a room – a meeting room where secret meetings were held. The bride's father, Hyuuga Hiashi, sat on one end of the table. Beside him was his second daughter, Hyuuga Hanabi.

On the other side of the table, the Hyuuga heiress and the groom sat beside each other. The heiress was shaking because of the tension of the room. The groom noticed this and held her hand, as if saying that it was alright.

Hyuuga Hiashi coughed. He wanted to gain the attention of the soon-to-be newlyweds. The two lovebirds looked at the Hyuuga patriarch. "I arranged this meeting to talk about the clan's future. We, the main family, always had heirs. I was an heir of the main family. But now, you, Hinata, are the heiress of the main family which makes it a bit difficult because of the laws that bind marriage."

"You got to loosen up a bit, old man." As the patriarch heard the statement, his eyebrow twitched.

Hinata was shocked by his statement and uttered, "N-n-naruto…"

Naruto answered, "If the laws don't have loopholes, then that means you have to change a few things here." He stood up and said, "I'm not stupid, you know. I know that once Hinata and I are married, she gets the Uzumaki name. And you're saying that it's not right due to tradition? That plainly means one thing: find another heir from the main family and make sure it's a boy before you decide who it is."

Hinata tried pulling his hand. She was embarrassed by what Naruto said to her father. It was not right to make him angry the day before the wedding.

Hanabi, for once, spoke, "I think, for once, he's right, Father. Even if I become your heir, once I get married, the Hyuuga name goes."

Hinata added, "That's true, Father. Maybe it's time we have change around here. It's time that we treat the branch family as a part of the main family. We don't need to degrade our own blood relatives just to have protection. We can protect each other in times of peril. And in order to begin this change, I believe that we should let the one of the branch family to become the heir. And I really do believe that Neji should be the next clan leader."

Naruto simply nodded at her statement. He even added, "Neji's the perfect choice, you know. He's good. He's talented. He's strong but I'm stronger."

Hiashi thought about it.

Hanabi added, "You know they're right. It's better to have these changes than disregard a law. And besides, you always treated Neji as your own son."

Hiashi nodded and said, "However, you need to make a public statement about your withdrawal from the position and about Neji."

Hinata smiled. For once in her life, her father agreed to what she said. At first, he never agreed to the relationship Naruto and Hinata had. The person that convinced him to allow the nuptial was the Hokage. If she didn't convince Hiashi, Hinata would be married to somebody else.

She bowed her head and said, "Thank you, Father."

When Hinata and Naruto went out of the meeting room, they were swarmed by groups of people. Naruto formed the Kage Bunshin Technique and with the help of his copies, he organized the whole chaotic assembly.

A few hours later, everything was done and they were finally able to rest. Hinata and Naruto were resting in the family room of the main house. It was a wide room, two sliding doors that led to the house's hallways could be found on the north side of the room. The room was furnished with a Japanese table and soft cushions. When you open the sliding door on the west side of the room, the beautiful view of the gardens could be found.

Naruto opened the sliding doors and revealed such a wonderful view. The auburn rays of the sun reflected on the fish pond which gave it a beautiful glow. Hinata sighed at the view. She was tired from picking this and picking that. However, Naruto had never been happier in his life. He never tasted so much food before!

Suddenly, a carrier pigeon flew toward them. Tied on its feet was a message. Hinata raised her hand and lifted her index finger so that it would serve as the landing spot for the bird. Indeed, the bird landed on her index finger. She carefully removed the note tied on its foot and handed the note to Naruto. She caressed the bird and carefully held its body. She went out of the room for a moment to get birdseed.

Naruto opened the note from the bird. His eyes grew wide with shock as he read the note. The note stated:

_Uzumaki Naruto and the soon-to-be Uzumaki-Hyuuga Hinata,_

_I have sent you this note because of an urgent matter. Do not let this matter ruin your mood for tomorrow's celebrations. I look forward for many bottles of sake!_

_This letter indicates that Uchiha Sasuke, once again, left Konoha due to the events that occurred between him and Haruno Sakura. No one knows this but a soon-to-be member of the Uchiha family has to undergo a certain ritual which required trust and love. This ritual cannot be stopped in the middle of the process. However, Uchiha Sasuke stopped the ritual impulsively, causing Haruno Sakura to undergo pain._

_Both of you must not worry because Haruno Sakura is okay now for I did the reverse method of the ritual. But this would still bring mental pain to her so Uchiha Sasuke decided to leave after we made her drink a Forgetting Potion so that she won't remember anything._

_To get the story straight, we will tell Sakura that Sasuke died on his way to Konoha. The ANBU team never found his body in the forest. We will tell her that because of the news, she got sick and Neji postponed their wedding._

_That is all. – Godaime_

Hinata came back with a plate of birdseed. (The bird was already eating.) She stopped abruptly to find Naruto speechless. "What did it say?" She sat down beside him and placed the plate down.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, "… doesn't deserve so much pain." He handed her the letter.

Hinata read the letter and was shocked by the news. "I… cannot believe this… She… We have to lie to her?"

"We have to." Naruto added, "It's for her own good. And I'm glad that for once, Uchiha did a good thing for her."

"Why don't we visit her?" Hinata suggested. "I wanted to see if she's alright. And I wanted to know if Neji's okay."

The couple went to the hospital. Both of them were fairly acquainted with the hospital. Most of the time, Naruto came home with a lot of injuries during missions. In so doing, Hinata was a frequent visitor. Hinata knew the basics of being a medic nin but most of the time, she was the hand-to-hand combat specialist in her ANBU team.

Hinata brought cherry blossoms for Sakura. She loved cherry blossoms. As they entered the hospital, some people greeted them "congratulations" and "happy marriage". They asked for Haruno Sakura's room at the reception desk. "She's in Room 216, on the fifth floor." The receptionist added, "Congratulations to both of you!"

Both of them walked up the stairs and when they reached the fifth floor, they saw Room 216 near it. Hinata lightly knocked on the door. Someone with a chirpy sing-song voice said, "Come in!"

Hinata and Naruto opened the door and saw that most of their friends were there. Ino and TenTen were huddled over the Sakura. The boys were talking to Neji.

The room left no traces of what really happened. The walls were sparkling white. The floor was spotless clean. The candle was gone. And the best of all was that the sad atmosphere from last night was gone.

The pink haired patient smiled at her new visitors. It was amazing to see her now. It was as if she never underwent any pain, any sadness… It was as if she was happy the whole time. Hinata gave the flowers to Sakura. "Thank you, Hina-chan!"

Ino said, "How does it feel to be the first one to be married in the Rookie 9?"

Hinata blushed a bit and answered, "It seemed normal enough."

"When do you and Shikamaru plan on getting married?" Sakura asked her best friend.

Ino's face turned red. "Well… I don't know when the hell he is going to propose. I'm just waiting for him." Ino sighed.

Silence enveloped the girls. Sakura's guests were thinking, 'Should I tell her about Sasuke?'

"I know what happened to Sasuke." Sakura suddenly said those words. The girls were a bit shocked and relieved. "Neji told me already."

"So what do you plan to do now, Sakura?" Ten-Ten asked her.

Sakura sighed and answered, "Go on with what I have now. I knew that he was never coming back for me. I just don't know how to let go. Maybe it's time to let go."

Ino and the rest of the girls hugged Sakura. "We're so happy for you, Sakura." Hinata whispered.

The boys, however, were talking about different matters instead. "So, he's not coming back?" Naruto asked Neji.

Neji answered, "I don't know. Maybe he wouldn't come back for Sakura's sake."

"How troublesome!" Shikamaru muttered, "I just hope that the old woman never make us find him."

Rock Lee changed the topic because he was afraid that Sakura would hear them talk about him. "So, Naruto, how does it feel to be the first one to be married in the Rookie 9?"

Naruto gave him a questioning look. "What the heck are you asking that?" Naruto answered and hit him on the head, "Mind your own business, bushy eyebrows!"

By five in the afternoon, Sakura's guests left the hospital. The white room was silent again. There was a bit of tension in the white room as the sun's auburn rays filled the room. Neji was staring outside from the window, holding a piece of paper, which was sent by Master Tsunade ten hours ago, in his pocket.

Sakura wanted the tension to die. She had no idea why there was that much tension. Whenever she tried remembering, it was either blurred or none. She tried and tried to remember the whole time. She tried to connect the timelines that Neji told her when she woke up.

_The morning rays of the sun started entering the room. It brought color to the patient's face. Her visitor and room companion was sleeping. He was sitting on the chair near her bed. His head was bent down over his right arm. His left hand was holding her right hand._

_Jade eyes opened to see the world. She sat up and looked around her and finally felt pain throbbing from her head. She tried soothing her head with a massage and a bit of chakra using her left hand. She wasn't able to use her right hand because something or better yet, someone was holding her right hand._

_The unique light purple (or is it really pearl white?) eyes of a certain Hyuuga slowly opened as he felt her hand flinch. He immediately looked up and saw her old jade eyes. He stood up and saw her questioning look. He suddenly hugged her tightly like she was gone for so long. A tear slid down his face as he whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay now, Sakura."_

_  
Sakura laughed. "I can't breathe, Neji… Let go…" Neji uttered a sorry and let her go. Sakura asked him, "What happened to me? Why am I here?" She saw his facial expression change from the expression of the happiest man alive to the expression of the most woeful person alive. _

"_Sakura, I have to give you very grave news." Neji began. He sat down again and said, "Sasuke died on his way back here. Remember when Hanabi told you that he's alive? You left Konoha without a word. We looked for you for two whole days until we found you, wounded and a bloody mess. You were stammering something like… 'Sasuke… Don't go… Don't leave me…' We saw ripped parts of his clothes stained with blood nearby. We searched for his body but it was no where to be found…" Sakura's grave expression was painful for Neji. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I tried to look for his body too. But we really couldn't find him."_

Sakura slowly got out of her bed. She slowly walked toward Neji and hugged him. "Neji, I'm sorry for everything I did to you… I'm blessed to be loved by you." She snuggled in closer to his back. Neji held the paper inside his pocket. That paper would shed light to the lies he told her. He decided to keep it there. He pried Sakura's hands from his body. He turned around and faced her.

"No." Neji cupped her face. "I'm the one blessed to be loved by you." He tilted her head and kissed her lips. This time, the feelings were real for both of them.

The soon-to-be newlyweds walked together, hand-in-hand, on their way back to the Hyuuga Mansion. Both of them were silent. Starting tomorrow, they will always be together, bound by marriage. Hinata thanked her lucky stars because she's finally getting her happy ending with him.

Time went fast and soon enough, they were in front of the Hyuuga Mansion. "Here's my stop. Thanks for walking me home, Naruto."

Naruto smiled and answered, "This would be the last time I'm bringing you home because starting tomorrow, we are going to live under one roof - my roof, at least!"

Both of them gave a hearty laugh. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, a sign that it was almost nighttime. Silence came over and both of them were looking for parting words.

"Uhm…" Hinata was about to say something when Naruto kissed her lips. She was surprised of course. But she was more surprised and happier by what he said. "I'm blessed to be loved by you. You are the only place in my heart where the sun shines brightest." He started to run and then he looked back and waved, "Goodbye, my sunny place!"

Hinata sweat-dropped, anime style. But then, she smiled and embraced herself. It was getting cold. She stared at his back as he walked away. "Naruto, I'm the one who is blessed to be loved by you."

--

**Author's Notes:**

According to a website, Hinata is written in the same kanji as Hyuuga. And Hyuuga means "Sunny Place". That's the reason why Naruto called her "Sunny Place".

Whaddya think of this chapter?

Tel me in a review!

Go ahead and tell me!

If you're a new reader of this story, please don't forget to check the Add Story to Story Alerts so that you can be updated whenever I update the next chapter.

There's still two chapters in store for you!


	10. A Side Story: A Vow of Eternal Love

A Side Story: A Vow of Eternal Love

(Part 2 of A Promise of Eternal Love)

The next day, the Hyuuga heiress She didn't make a public announcement yet. woke up from a good night's sleep. Her light purple eyes slowly opened to see the greatest day in her life. When her eyes were fully opened, she told herself, "I'm getting married today."

A smile crept on her face as the rays of the sun touched her porcelain-like face. She sat up and stretched her arms. Her room was filled with flowers and gifts from her friends and relatives as a greeting of congratulations.

On the side of her bed, she saw her beautiful gown trimmed with lace and sequins. It was the most beautiful dress she ever saw. She touched the long sleeves of the gown and it was soft and silky smooth. She touched the bodice and the train with care. She smiled contentedly as she thought of her tomorrow.

Naruto snored loudly as he heard banging from his door. He did some cleaning when he got home. After all, Hinata's going to live with him from now on. He got rid of those books that Jiraiya left when he stayed there a couple of times. He did the laundry and ironed the clean clothes as well. He vacuumed the rugs. He replaced the old bed sheets. He polished the floors. Everything was sparkling.

Outside, two figures approach the Uzumaki's door. One of them, a certain dog lover, shouted from outside, "Oi, Naruto! Get out of bed!"

"Not now, Kiba." He muttered, "I want to sleep more." He covered his head with a pillow to help him not hear anything anymore.

The men of Rookie 9, well, two of them, were there. Nara Shikamaru and Inozuka Kiba were there to help Naruto get ready for the wedding, upon the Hyuuga heiress's request. Shino won't do it because he said, "I don't want to help Naruto because he should be responsible for once in his life."

Shikamaru uttered, "How troublesome of you, Naruto!" He stood there lazily as he waited for the groom to open the door.

Kiba banged on the door some more. "Remember you're getting married today?"

Naruto snapped up and ran toward the door. The opened it and gave a toothy grin to his friends. "Thanks for waking me up."

"Troublesome bastard!" Shikamaru muttered as he entered the newly arranged Uzumaki abode. "Wow… This is really something…" Both men were amazed to see the cleanliness of the house.

"So this is the mere effect of being married…" Kiba remarked as he marveled the shining floor. He looked at Naruto and said, "You better take care of her or I'll kill you."

Naruto looked at him and answered, "And I really thought Neji would do that to me." Naruto and the others laughed out loud. When the laughing died down, he looked sincerely at Kiba and said, "I will always and forever take care of her. Trust me on this." Kiba smiled at him and nodded.

The Hyuuga mansion was bustling with people running around, just like yesterday. The preparations were completed yesterday. The garden was arranged with rows of chairs. The white carpet marked the aisle adorned with white satin cloth and flowers. The gazebo was decorated with white lilies and white satin. The musicians were on the left side of the gazebo, preparing for the event. They were going to play the wedding march and the music at the reception inside the mansion.

The bride was in her room, in her white gown. She looked at the three-panel mirrors placed in her room. She admired herself with the beautiful dress. It seemed like a dream come true.

A knock came from the other side of the door. The bride meekly said come in. The person opened the door and revealed himself as the bride's father, Hyuuga Hiashi. He walked toward the bride and said, "You look just like your mother, Hinata." Before, he barely showed any emotion of love to his first daughter. And now, he wanted to change that.

She answered shyly, "Thank you, Father. I'm just glad you're here to see this."

Hiashi hugged her and held her tight. "I'm sorry for being so hard on you, Hinata. I don't want to lose you like I lost your mother. I wanted you to be strong and now, I believe that you are."

Hinata was on the verge of tears as she choked a thank you. She never dreamed of hearing her stoic father. She hoped that this day would come and now that it did, everything seemed so complete.

Hiashi let her go and said, "Now, you're getting married to someone I know you truly love and I hope that you'll be really happy with him." He took out a box and showed her a beautiful silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. "This was your mother's necklace. She wore it on our wedding day. She would want you to wear it on your wedding day."

Hinata was amazed. The pendant was studded with diamonds and on the middle, there was one sapphire stone. Hiashi asked her to turn around and placed the necklace around her neck. She turned around again and it was the perfect accessory for the gown. "Thank you, Father."

He smiled and nodded. He excused himself but before he left, he reminded her, "You must not forget about renouncing your position and giving it to Neji. You said you'd officially tell them today."

Hinata nodded and watched her father leave the room. A few moments later, her friends came in and gave their personal congratulations.

The sun shone brightly over the gardens. The clouds covered some of the sun's rays, making patches of light. The breeze kept passing by which made the event more magical than it already was.

Naruto and his best man, Neji, stood at one end of the aisle near the priest, waiting for the bride and her bridesmaid. The wedding music started and all of the people looked behind. There she was, a vision in white. Her hair fixed in a bun. Her face covered by a veil. Her smile was more radiant than ever.

She was followed by a pink flower, smiling, as if nothing had happened for the past few days. Everybody watched her and refrained from gossiping about the incident as ordered by the Hokage.

The ceremony went as planned. The two said their vows of eternal love. It was their promise to love one other, till death make them part. Of course, some of the audience was crying because of the powerful and heart-warming vows.

The priest announced them as husband and wife. The kiss was the seal of their vows. Everybody clapped and cheered the newlyweds. The two broke their kiss after a minute and looked at everybody's smiling faces.

Naruto held Hinata's hand as they walked out of the altar and into the reception hall inside the Hyuuga Mansion. Slowly, the reception hall got filled with people. Hinata and Naruto sat on the table elevated by a stage so everybody could see them.

When everybody settled in after eating, Hinata decided to make the announcement. She whispered to Naruto about it. In so doing, he tapped his glass loudly with his spoon, getting everybody's attention. "Friends, my wife has something to announce and I want all of you to listen."

Hinata blushed a bit upon hearing him pertain to her as his wife. She slowly stood up and took a deep breath. "My family and friends, as we all know, I am the successor of the Hyuuga clan for I am the daughter of the main branch. However, I decided to give up my position due to personal reasons. And in so doing, I decided to give my position to my cousin, Hyuuga Neji who, I believe, will do a great job as the clan leader. This also diminishes the difference between the two family branches. Please give a hand to the new Hyuuga heir, Hyuuga Neji." She clapped her hands along with everybody else.

Neji was speechless. Sakura smiled and told him to stand up and say something. Slowly, as the clapping died down, Neji stood up and made an announcement himself. "Hinata, I don't know what to say but thank you so much. Thank you for choosing me as the new heir. I promise to do a great job – as you said. And also," He paused for a moment and looked at his princess. "Sakura, I…" He knelt down on one knee. "I must ask you once again to marry me again and help me rule over the family." He took out a ring box and opened it to reveal a silver ring with diamonds arranged like a cherry blossom.

It was Sakura's turn to be speechless. Tears accumulated in her eyes. "Of course, I will!" She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Neji." Everybody cheered and clapped for them. Another wedding was at hand and this time, nothing was going to stop the celebration.

Author's Notes: Hi-ya! This is my Christmas gift to you, my readers. I'm sorry it took so long. Lots of things happened in school and the homework got piled up. This didn't go as I imagined it would be but it's nice in its own way. I'll try to write the epilogue after I post this.

I'm still thinking though… what would be the perfect title for the epilogue: Close to the End or Four Feet Distance? Here's a little preview for it. (I just wrote it…: P)

_Sakura was walking with Haruka and Tamaki around the memorable bridge where Team 7 used to meet up to talk about missions. She stopped for a moment to recapitulate her youth. All those memories brought tears to her eyes._

_Young Haruka pulled the sleeve of Sakura's pink kimono. "Mommy, why are you crying?" _

_Sakura looked at her daughter's concerned face. Then, she looked at her son's face. She smiled and hugged both of them. "It's nothing, my sweethearts. Go and walk ahead of me. I'll catch up. Tama-chan, watch over Haru-chan, okay?" She let the go and smiled at them._

"_Yes, Mommy." Tamaki held Haruka's hand and walked ahead. _

"_Are they your children?"_

_Sakura looked back to see who the person was. Upon seeing the raven-colored hair and eyes, she gasped. Tears streamed down her eyes. _

"_Still teary-eyed, you never changed, Sakura."_

That was just a draft of what the epilogue would be. The names Tamaki and Haruka just entered my mind so I decided to use it. Also, there would be a song that'll accompany that moment.

I hope you do review. I really appreciate reviews. If you just read this story, please do check the "Add to Story Alert" as you review. The epilogue's something worth reading, I assure you.

Ja ne!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto – but I wish I do.


	11. Epilogue: Close to the End

**Author's Notes: **

Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I know I made all of you wait for so long. I really wanted to update earlier. I swear I did. But then, my computer crashed and it took me months to get it fixed. And a lot of things happened to me even after I got my computer fixed. (I just graduated from high school. I'm going to be a college freshman next school year! Whoot!)

It also made me sad that only a few people reviewed the last chapter and I know that there are more than 20 people subscribed to this fic. No matter, I still want to thank you, my readers. This is my very first successful story other than my other Naruto one-shots.

I hope that you'll like this epilogue of "Sacrifices". I had something better in mind a few months ago but the circumstances stopped me from writing that.

So now, I present to you…

Sacrifices: Epilogue – Close to the End

(Standard Disclaimer Applies to some of the characters and the song.)

_Days…_

_  
Weeks…_

_  
Months…_

_Years…_

Time had passed and Konoha was at peace. Wars were minimal and didn't last very long. Ninjas went to small and medium-sized missions and came back without a scratch on their body.

The famous Rookie Nine finally became powerful ninjas and protected Konoha with all of their might. Two of the most prominent and well-known families in Konoha were from the Rookie Nine – the Haruno-Hyuuga and the Hyuuga-Uzumaki households.

The Hyuuga-Uzumaki household composed of five people. The Uzumaki patriarch was now soon-to-be Hokage after the Godaime retires. He had proved himself worthy of the position. The Uzumaki matriarch was one of the best medical ninjas in Konoha. She learned only from the best – the Godaime herself. With her Byakugan abilities totally perfected, she became unstoppable.

The three Hyuuga-Uzumaki offspring were one of a kind. All three were blond and had powder blue eyes which possess the Byakugan ability. They had a very good mixture of their parents' genes.

The eldest was named Uzumaki Ichigo. His name was supposed to be Uzumaki Ichiraku, right after the name of the restaurant Naruto loves. However, Hinata protested and changed the name into Ichigo. Ichigo was as confident and as noisy as his father. He was also as thoughtful and smart as his mother.

The middle child was named Uzumaki Reika. Her name was picked at random. She was somehow a great mixture of her parents – shy and quiet as her mother and yellow hair and sapphire orbs just like his father.

The youngest, Uzumaki Naoki, was the special one among the children. He was really-really quiet – didn't mingle among the other children or his brother and sister that much. But he was kind and gentle like the wind. Naruto had been devising ways to make his youngest like him but all Naoki said to him was, "Dad, don't worry. I love solidarity. There's nothing wrong with me. I just… really love peace and quiet."

The Haruno-Hyuuga household was quite different from the Hyuuga-Uzumaki household. This household was all prim and proper due to the Hyuuga master was now the leader of the whole clan. He was as responsible as ever and respected everywhere he went. The Hyuuga mistress was the perfect wife for him – always beside him in order to support him in any way she can. She was the greatest medical ninjas around in Konoha – smart and powerful.

There were only two children in this household – a girl and a boy – ages seven and five respectively. The girl had her mother's attractive face and the unique candy pink hair. The boy had his father's handsome face and the brown hair of the Hyuuga clan. Both had light green orbs that can use the Byakugan. Both were smart, cunning, and well-behaved. Yet, they were still children. No matter how high they belong in Konoha's society, they behave like normal children who wanted to play games with their parents and friends.

The eldest child, Hyuuga Haruka, was the top student in the Ninja Academy. She was good at studying – just like her mother. She was also good in combat skills – just like her father. She was usually quiet and acted mature for her age around old people. But once she gets together with her best friend and cousin, Uzumaki Ichigo, she becomes talkative and active.

The youngest and the next clan leader for the Hyuuga family was Hyuuga Tamaki. He was a cheerful boy. Like any other boys of such clan, he wanted to make his father proud of him. He had asked his mother to teach him jutsus that he could do. Successfully, he was able to perform them at ease. His father couldn't be more proud of him.

One windy afternoon, the Hyuuga mistress, Sakura, was walking with Haruka and Tamaki around the memorable bridge where Team 7 used to meet up to talk about missions. She stopped for a moment to recapitulate her youth. All those memories brought tears to her eyes.

Young Haruka looked up and saw droplets of water coming out of her mother's emerald eyes. She tugged the sleeve of Sakura's pink kimono. Her mother looked at her and saw the worry in her daughter's eyes as Haruka asked, "Mommy, why are you crying?"

Sakura looked at her daughter's concerned face. Then, she looked at her son's worried face. She smiled and hugged both of them. "It's nothing, my sweethearts. Go and walk ahead of me. I'll catch up. Tama-chan, watch over Haru-chan, okay?" She let the go and smiled at them.

"Hai, Okaa-san." Tamaki answered as cheerfully as he could and held Haruka's hand as walked ahead.

Unexpectedly, someone asked the emerald-eyed woman, "Are they your children?"

Sakura looked back to see who the person was. Upon seeing the raven-colored hair and eyes, she gasped. Tears streamed down her eyes. Her whole body was trembling. She didn't know what to say. It had been such a long time since she last saw him. And in fact, she knew he was dead.

_Have you ever felt being there? _

_Have you ever found the sunshine on your hair? _

_Have you been under your skin? _

_Have you ever found the beauty from within? _

"Still teary-eyed, you never changed, Sakura." The man smiled as he approached her. When they only had a four feet distance between them, he said, "Hello, my cherry blossom."

"Sa-sa-sa-sasuke…" She was able to utter his name after seven years of thinking he was already gone for good. She knew there had to be a good explanation for that but as of that moment, all she wanted to do was hear what he had to say.

"It's been seven years since I last saw you." The last remaining Uchiha looked at his peaceful surroundings. "This place hasn't changed that much, huh?"

"I… I thought you were dead." Sakura looked at the ground as she said, "I thought I could never see you again. Why did you make me think that… that you were dead?"

Sasuke touched her chin and made her look into his onyx eyes. He saw more tears drop from her eyes. "It's complicated, Sakura. I had to do that. But Sakura… look where you are right now. You're happily married to a good man and you have kids. I could never be happier for you."

Sakura reasoned out to him. "I would've been happier if I was with you, Sasuke. You know how much I… how much I care for you." She knew it was useless because no one could possibly turn the hands of time back to yesterday. But she believed that she had to say the words that were locked inside her heart seven years ago.

"Sakura… I…" He couldn't find the right words to say to her. He couldn't simply tell her what he did to her – how much pain he caused her.

_Like an unfamiliar song _

_You can hum with all your heart _

_But you'll never find the words _

"Sasuke…" She waited for him to say something. She wanted to know why he faked his own death. She knew there had to be a good reason behind all that. Suddenly, she felt herself inside his warm embrace – the embrace she never had all this time.

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Without you again, without you again, without you again _

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Feeling so close, close to the end, close to the end..._

_Close to the end. _

"Sakura, all this time, you were on my mind. I wanted so much to be with you. But I couldn't bear the thought of hurting you just because of some stupid ritual that you had to do in order for us to have perfect offspring. I'm so sorry."

_Have you ever thought of nothing else? _

_As I wake up each day until the moment I lay my head on my bed _

_And as I close my eyes and cling to my pillow _

_Though you're miles away I still wait for the day that would never come_

Sakura was shocked when she heard what he said. It made her look up at him and stare into his eyes, searching for an answer as she reasoned, "You know how much I love you, don't you? I would've endured all that pain for you. You just had to trust me."

"I did but…" Sasuke was about to continue but when he saw Sakura shook her head, he suddenly got lost for words and couldn't continue. He feared that if he say anything more, he would hurt her again.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything anymore." She buried her face closer into his chest and made a wonderful memory. She whispered to him, "Let's not talk about our regrets. We could never turn back the hands of time and be together again. I have something to hold on here." Sakura looked into his eyes once more and showed him her happiness. She wanted him to remember that moment until the moment they die. "Now, all I want to do was stay here, inside your arms before we go separate paths again."

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Without you again, without you again, without you again _

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Feeling so close, close to the end, close to the end..._

_Close to the end. _

Suddenly, a small girl approached them and pulled Sasuke's sleeve. Sasuke broke free from his embrace and looked at the girl. That sudden movement made Sakura look at the girl as well. She had the same raven hair, onyx eyes, and expressionless face that Sasuke has. "Outo-san, we have to go now. Okaa-san and Natsume-onii-chan's gone ahead of us."

_The stars are bound to die _

_It all makes no sense _

_I can't take the chance _

_I don't want to see you go, see you go..._

Even if she dreaded the answer, she still asked the question. "Sasuke… is she yours?" But the answer was obvious. It was a surefire Uchiha child.

"It's nice to see Outo-san and one of his friends together again. I'm Sakura Hotaru. Uchiha Sakura Hotaru. Outo-san said I was named after his first love and Okaa-san hated that name. She calls me Hotaru most of the time."

'Sakura Hotaru? He named her after me, his first love…' Sakura smiled at the girl. Hotaru wasn't like Sasuke at all. She was always smiling and talkative. 'It must've been the traits of her mother… Wait a second! Who is her mother?'

As if Sasuke could read her mind, he said, "Her mother was also born in Konoha. She's related to the Godaime."

"Oh, I see…" Sakura moved a few steps back, creating the four feet distance again. "I guess this is good-bye." She gave him her best and sweetest smile. She wanted him to remember her smiling happily as he leaves her once more.

"Yeah, I had to leave now." He picked up his daughter and started to walk away. A few seconds later, he looked back and waved. "Sayonara, Sakura." He looked away and disappeared from his friends, Konoha, and her life again.

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Without you again, without you again, without you again _

_And I don't wanna wake up _

_Feeling so close, close to the end, close to the end... close to the end._

Everything was still and silent. She whispered as the evening breeze passed by her, "Sayonara, Sasuke." Another tear slid down her cheek but she knew it was the last tear she'll shed for Uchiha Sasuke.

END

**Author's Final Note: **

This wonderful work of fanfiction was finished at 11:52PM (Philippine time) on April 9, 2007. In this final note, I ask you, my readers to review. It can be short or long. I don't mind at all. A review would make all these worthwhile. Thank you once again and I hope to hear from you again.

-angelraine-


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